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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24511420">The Missing Piece</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bdevereaux/pseuds/bdevereaux'>bdevereaux</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lucifer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Chloe Decker, Canon Divergence - Lucifer (TV) Season 04, Confused Chloe Decker, Dan Espinoza Finds Out, Deception, Denial of Feelings, Ella Lopez Finds Out, Episode Related, Eve is Not Nice, F/M, Feelings, Gen, Humor, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Wing Reveal, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) is Bad at Feelings, POV Chloe Decker, Revenge, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, Shameless Smut, Trixie Espinoza &amp; Lucifer Morningstar Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:14:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,503</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24511420</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bdevereaux/pseuds/bdevereaux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of what may have happened if Chloe challenged Lucifer when he dismissed her at the end of 4x03 "O, Ye of Little Faith, Father." It's done in first-person Chloe narration, which is new for me!</p><p>Some of what happens is AU, some is just like it was on the show. You'll have to read and find out! xoxo</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Eve/Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>416</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Have A Little Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This AU just poured right out of me after re-watching seasons 3 and 4. We might see some ill-intentioned Eve, folks! And definitely some fireworks... ;)</p><p>I plan to add a chapter every few days. Please share comments and feedback!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe</p><p>“Could you accept me like this?” Lucifer’s words made me cringe, like fingernails down a chalkboard. He had turned around to reveal his “monstrous side” once again. I hopelessly tried to form words that would convey how sorry I was to have hurt and betrayed him.</p><p>I was standing face to face with the Devil for the second time in as many months. My fight-or-flight reflexes tried to kick in, but I pushed them away, the exertion of it making me tremble. Was I really too afraid to accept him? On the other hand, was it utterly insane to do so?</p><p>As if I was outside my body, I heard myself pitifully rambling about how much I wanted to, how I was trying. I needed time—clearly a month was not enough time to process such a life-changing realization. I’d made the mistake of my lifetime in going to Rome, in confiding in a madman.</p><p>He pressed on, more harshly this time: “But could you?” he asked again, and I looked Lucifer straight in his fiery eyes. In a better setting, I’d say they were almost hypnotic. I was running out of time to make this monumental decision— accept the Devil, or lose Lucifer?</p><p>“I don’t know!” I heard myself cry out, weak and pathetic. His face shifted back to the one I knew and trusted, the one I’d let weave himself into the fabric of my everyday life, the one I could fall in love with a million times. I couldn’t have been more disgusted with myself. His eyes were glassy with unshed tears, and he was trying to close himself off to me.</p><p>“Then I have my answer.”</p><p>Would that be the last thing he ever said to me? It seemed like he thought so, having turned away and walked out onto the balcony. I stood frozen to my spot, afraid to move. Tears rolled down my cheeks in a free fall, and now my nose was dripping too.</p><p>If I left now, that’d be it for us. My primal brain wanted me to run to that elevator and let our partnership to crumble into dust, because our differences had always been too big an obstacle to overcome.</p><p>But I’ve never been a runner. As a cop, I’ve always relied on my instincts, and leaving felt wrong down to my bones. So I wiped my face gracelessly on one of my sweater sleeves, and headed toward danger, not away.</p><p>“No,” I called out in a strong voice, “I wasn’t finished, Lucifer. I have more to say to you,” and I willed myself closer to the balcony doors. He didn’t turn at the sound of my voice, and I could see curls of smoke drifting around him.</p><p>“There’s nothing more to say. I showed you my face and you showed me yours. The case, as we’ve said many times before, is closed Detective.”</p><p>The bitterness in his voice gave me the bravery to stand my corner. Why did he get to make the final decision? It pissed me off, just like he’d done hundreds of times over the years we’d worked together. I could work with that, because those feelings were so familiar.</p><p>“I don’t accept that. Just because I couldn’t give you the answer you wanted- on the spot, I might add- doesn’t mean that I’m giving up!” I said, getting right up in his face.</p><p>He was surprised that I caught him off guard, but he gave me the room to speak, extinguishing his cigarette. “All of this celestial stuff is new to me, and being the only human who knows about this is really what scares me. Not you! I said it before: when I came back, I found my partner again, but I haven’t done right by you. You’ve said to me so many times that you hate being thought of as the beast Kinley described. The Lucifer I know had my back, and would at least try to see things from my perspective. Can you? Can you tell me if you can accept that? Because I’m willing to try if you are,” I challenged him, hugging myself to ward off the late night chill.</p><p>Lucifer ran a hand through his hair as he took in what I’d said. He again faced away from me, wrapping his hands around the balcony’s railing and gazing into the moonless black expanse all around us.</p><p>“Detective, you were gone for a month. During that time, I knew you needed space, and no matter how much I wanted to find you, I respected your privacy,” he began, sounding more anguished than ever. I tried to say something comforting, but he held up a hand to say he wasn’t done. “I don’t want to be angry with you, and what you just said is perfectly reasonable. But I told you all of my fears so many times, and you still reacted exactly as I thought you would. I think I’ll need some time to process that myself,” he finished quietly, shaking his head and looking away from my face.</p><p>He was right, and I knew it. Pasting a placid smile on my face, I nodded in agreement, swallowing any sarcastic comments about who he might choose to “process” with. “Take all the time you need- please. I’ll only call you if I have to for work, ok? Talk it out with Linda. I’ll bet she’ll be a big help,” I said, patting him awkwardly on the arm just as he was putting his hands in his pockets. He just gave me a small smile and a nod.</p><p>Much later that night, while I was getting ready for bed, my phone buzzed with a text from Lucifer:</p><p> - LM: Come to think of it, it would probably help you to talk to Linda as well. After all, she is an expert in all beings celestial on Earth. Sleep well, Detective.-</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hard to Accept</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chloe visits Linda for a heart-to-heart, learns a lot, and makes some important decisions. But is there trouble brewing on the horizon???</p><p>I'm doing a lot of necessary world building here at the start, so I hope it's not boring! Next chapter brings confrontations, some good, some baaaaad... :)</p><p>I love feedback, so please feed the beast &lt;3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe</p><p>The next morning was a Saturday, and luckily I had a whole weekend with no distractions ahead of me to think about what I’d do next. Approaching my life like a case felt weird, but Lucifer’s text was one hell of a good lead.</p><p>As soon as it was polite to do so, I texted Linda, asking to meet. She got back to me almost immediately, inviting me to her house for a chat. Armed with a box of pastries and a smile, I knocked, and who should open the door but Amenadiel? I felt taken off guard by someone I hadn’t seen since before Charlotte Richards’ death. Someone who I now knew to be...another angel.</p><p>“Oh, Amenadiel, hello! I didn’t know you were here! I can come back...” I sputtered, embarrassed at losing my ability to speak coherently. He smiled gently, understanding my hesitation as if he could read my mind. Could angels read minds?</p><p>“Chloe, welcome! I’ve been helping Linda out a bit these days— she should be out in just a minute. Whatever you’ve brought smells delicious, so why don’t you come in and I’ll set up a plate for you two?” he offered, ushering me inside and taking the pastry box. I’d never been to Linda’s, so I gazed around in wonder at her beautiful house, with its exposed beams and lovely Spanish-style decor. I couldn’t help but wonder how much she charged Lucifer (and her other patients) to afford a place like this.</p><p>“Chloe! It’s so great to see you, finally!” Linda exclaimed, wrapping me in a hug.</p><p>“You too! Your home is just gorgeous, thank you so much for having me over,” I replied, smiling genuinely at her. It was beyond a relief to finally talk to someone who could help me make sense of everything I’d learned.</p><p>She ushered me over to a sitting area with comfy looking couches and an enormous wooden coffee table. As we sat down, Amenadiel brought over a tray with the pastries and a pot of tea with mugs.  He had his jacket slung over his forearm.</p><p>“I have to get going, but it was so nice to see you, Chloe. I’m sure we’ll talk soon,” he said, patting my arm. He turned to Linda, smiling at her like a man in love. “See you tomorrow?” Linda blushed a tiny bit, nodding as she gazed right back. They were adorable.</p><p>After he’d left, Linda poured out the tea and got down to business. “So...you must have quite a bit on your mind, Chloe. Why don’t you tell me where’d you like to start?” she asked, taking a bite of chocolate croissant with a fairly indecent-sounding moan.</p><p>“They’re good, huh?” I teased her, taking a big bite myself. “It’s Trixie’s favorite bakery in our neighborhood,” she nodded as we chewed in silence. I waited until she’d swallowed and took a sip of tea. “So...uh, you’ve known about Lucifer and Maze, and um, Amenadiel this whole time?” I asked, gesturing towards the space where Amenadiel had been just minutes ago. My facial expression must’ve read as flabbergasted as I felt, because she abruptly looked away for a moment, clearing her throat loudly.</p><p>“Well, not the whole time,” she clarified, returning her gaze toward mine. “But for quite awhile, yes. I felt a lot of the same feelings you did, and it was, for lack of a better word, overwhelming,” Linda paused, waiting for my response or questions. A million of them flashed through my brain, given the enormity of actually realizing that angels and demons existed, let alone that I basically fell in love with The Devil. I decided to start small.</p><p>“I just wish I’d have known that you knew! I don't know how to deal with this, Linda. When I found out what Lucifer was...who he truly was, I ran away for a month,” I exclaimed breathlessly, hanging my head and letting my confession wash over my friend. She’d probably think I was the demonic one, I was convinced. Instead, she comforted me, reaching across the table to touch my hand.</p><p>“Chloe, you worked together for years. Formed an intimate bond. I think your reaction was an understandable one in light of the situation.”</p><p>My next question was the one that caused me the deepest regret and pain. “And you’ve seen his face? How did you react?”</p><p>“Not very well either— it was pretty alarming, to say the least,” she admitted, giving me a conspiratorial smile. Damn, she really was a good therapist! She was so genuine that I had to smile back.</p><p>“And Maze, how is it being friends with her, knowing who she really is?” I asked, since I’d always wondered how they’d become so close. They were such an unlikely pair, but maybe they brought out the best in each other— almost like my relationship with Lucifer, I thought ruefully. Linda shifted in her chair, grasping at her teacup nervously.</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t easy. None of it is. The Devil, a demon...Dating an angel, having his baby-“</p><p>I gasped, eyes wide with surprise. “Wait, what? You’re pregnant? You and Amenadiel? Congratulations!” Linda nodded vigorously, a panicked expression starting across her face.</p><p>“Yup, I’m having a baby—an angel baby! HA!” she barked, getting up from her chair to start pacing. “Truth be told, I’m freaking out, Chloe! I mean, it’s all just hitting me at once, how dangerous my friends are! And how dangerous this baby inside me might be...I mean, there’s a good chance it could come out with wings. WINGS!” she shrieked, arms reaching up as if to resemble them. I heard Lucifer’s voice in my head, comparing my laugh to “a demented witch on crack.” I wondered what he’d thought when he heard this little piece of news. If only I hadn't screwed things up so badly, we could be texting about this right now...</p><p>I stared at her, struggling to take in all she was telling me. I’d arrived at Linda’s house that morning thinking I had the world’s craziest existential crisis on my hands. Turns out, I wasn’t even close.</p><p>She continued, her pitch going even higher: “Is that even safe for a human to deliver? Will insurance cover any of this? I mean, who knows? WHO KNOWS, Chlo?”</p><p>I stood up, reaching out to grab her hands. “Linda, Linda, if anyone can handle this, it’s you,” I assured her soothingly, leading her back to her seat. “You’re different than me— you could’ve run, but you didn’t. If you're ok with it, I need to ask: why didn’t you?”</p><p>I watched my friend take several calming breaths, then she took a sip of tea. “I don’t know, honestly,” she mused, pushing her glasses up her nose. “I guess I can say that along with the bad parts, I've gained so much love, and truly found my place in this crazy celestial mix. I got a best friend out of this, and the most fascinating patient in the world,” she winked at me, and I could help but stifle a giggle. Who but Linda would have the amount of patience that being Lucifer’s therapist required?</p><p>“And this baby. Who saw that coming?” she wondered in the same loving tone I remembered from finding out we were having Trixie. Slowly, Linda turned her attention back to me. “I guess that as freaked out as I am, I’m really looking forward to being a mom, and meeting my son. Wings and all. And speaking of wings, let's get back to the topic at hand: how do you feel about Lucifer?” she asked, ending with the thorniest question of all. Suddenly, I felt a warm blush creeping up my neck to spread across my face. Even though I'd sought out her advice myself, spilling my guts about something this personal felt mortifying.</p><p>“It’s, well, it’s complicated,” I mumbled, avoiding her gaze by looking down to pick a nonexistent bit of lint from my sweater.</p><p>“You know, Chloe, in all of my time as a therapist, I’ve found that often, the most complicated situations really do boil down to simple questions. You’re the only one who can answer it: do you want him in your life or not?”</p><p>I left Linda's a little while later with plenty to think about. I couldn't kid myself-- if Lucifer were still the delusional-but-wonderful man I knew, I'd want him in a second. Even though I knew he was The Devil, I was pretty sure that my feelings hadn’t changed. Even when I fully believed Father Kinley, I could never hurt Lucifer like that. 

In order to be a good detective and a decent person, I always believed in trust as a fundamental value— and we were both guilty of breaking that trust. But if we could work together to rebuild our partnership, then anything was possible. 

The only thing I had to do was wait for him to process, just like he'd done for me. I had to let Lucifer be Lucifer. The proverbial ball, as they say, was out of my court. I shot him a quick text when I got home, thanking him for putting me in touch with Linda.</p><p>I decided to be proactive in a more domestic way. I spent the afternoon puttering around the house: cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry and completing other run-of-the-mill household chores other suburban moms did on Saturday afternoons. I sealed myself in my little, ordinary, safe space, ready for Trixie to come home tomorrow morning. </p><p>How was I supposed to know that trouble was headed in my direction from halfway across the world?</p><p>——————————</p><p>In the glittering city of Dubai, all of the men who came into contact with the mysterious young woman in white fell immediately under her spell. If she’d had heavy baggage, they would’ve fought each other to carry it. As she made her way through the massive airport, eyes wide with wonder and sparkling with mischievous allure, she stopped at a handsome concierge’s desk to ask for advice on fast flights to Los Angeles. Instead of just answering, the eager young man personally escorted her to the VIP Private Terminal, where all of the luxuries of the world could be found.</p><p>She browsed around the shops for a little while, taking delight in the solid gold jewel-encrusted mini elephant featured in one store’s display case. The owner, captivated by her golden skin and inky black cascade of hair, offered it to her on the spot. She demurred with a smile, and went on her way.</p><p>Rounding a corner, she heard a group of men loudly discussing their upcoming trip to LA. Clapping her hands in anticipation, she headed in, eyeing all of the fancy-looking bottles of amber and rose colored drinks. Nearby, an impatient gentleman stood in front of the long, tall table where all of the bottles were stored on shelves. She offered him a smile, which he of course returned, but soon his attention was briefly drawn away.</p><p>“Hey, Pablo, can you ask if they have any more cans of pistachios? We’ve gotta leave for the plane in ten minutes!” a rough voice called, and Pablo gave an annoyed shake of his head backwards before returning his eyes to her.</p><p>“Oh, are you flying to Los Angeles today? I’ve always dreamed of going there,” she told him, her voice perfectly modulated to sound both girlish and knowing at the same time.</p><p>“Yes, my friends and I are just about to leave for our jet. We happen to have an extra seat- would like to join us?” Pablo offered excitedly, looking her up and down with his best attempt at seduction.</p><p>“You would do that for me, Pablo?” she asked, lightly touching his forearm. He nodded, happy to appear as a man of great wealth and stature. Mission accomplished, she thought to herself with satisfaction; one step closer to finding her greatest desire, hidden somewhere in the city of sin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Golden Apples and Silva Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hello again! I hope you’re all well and safe in the midst of such craziness in the world. Tonight there were peaceful protest marches in my home state of New York, and I’m feeling grateful for that. ❤️</p><p>Back to AO3: This is our last set up chapter, so get ready for some adult action next time... I hope you’re enjoying (noticing?) the little tweaks I’ve done with the story!</p><p>Comments and suggestions are like candy to my soul!  xoxo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe</p><p>By the time Monday morning arrived, I felt stronger and more refreshed than I had in ages. Trixie and I spent a glorious day together: we played on the beach, drove over to Santa Monica for a food festival, and even had time to go to the movies before we both collapsed. Spending quality time with my daughter was exactly what I needed to take my mind off of all the chaos swirling around in my brain, so I was caught off-guard when she mentioned Lucifer on the drive to school.</p><p>"Hey Mom, why hasn't Lucifer come over in so long? I've been dying to see him since we got back from vacation! I still have to give him the present I bought in Rome," she whined from the back seat. I stiffened, completely unsure of what to say to her. The truth was definitely not an option.</p><p>"Oh, Monkey, everything's just been so busy at work-- you know Mommy doesn't usually take so much time off! I'm sure we'll plan something soon," I told her, hoping that'd be enough to change the subject. As usual, my quick and observant kid had a reply at the ready.</p><p>"You know, I had a feeling you were gonna say something like that, so I brought it with me. Can you give this to him and say I'm excited to get back to our game?" she asked casually, thrusting a small box through the front two seats so it landed on the passenger side with a thunk.</p><p>"Baby, what is this? And what kind of game are you playing with Lucifer?" I asked, equal parts surprised and suspicious as we pulled up near the school. The drop off line was more than ten cars long, so I had her trapped, and Trixie shifted around nervously in her seat. </p><p>"Um...you have to promise not to get mad," she answered glumly, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror. I raised my eyebrows at her, waiting for her to tell me the truth.M</p><p>"Trixie..."</p><p>"Ok, fine! Lucifer and I have had a running bet about your work jackets-- you know, which ones you'd wear when, if there was a secret order you used, that kind of thing. He owes me almost fifty bucks!" she exclaimed before clapping a hand over her mouth. I stifled a laugh- it sounded like something ridiculous they'd do- but we'd talked about no gambling a few times by that point.</p><p>"Trixie Espinoza, you know you're not supposed to gamble, period! I'll be talking to Lucifer, and IF I decide you can take the money, you're going to pick a charity to donate to," I told her sternly, taking my eyes off her to drive forward. We were only two cars away from the front, and Trixie decided to try for a quick exit with a syrupy sweet apology.</p><p>"I'm soooo sorry, Mommy. I'll never do it again, and we can donate the money to that animal shelter we love," she said, using the little girl voice that got her out of trouble with Dan every time. I couldn’t help but snort, which she took as a good sign, so she asked to get out of the car early. I flipped the child lock button off, and opened the passenger mirror to say goodbye and blow her a kiss as always. She gave me a huge smile before running off toward some friends. </p><p>It wasn't until I arrived at work that I realized she'd never told me what was in the box. </p><p> </p><p>The day passed quickly and without much action for me. I had a mountain of paperwork to get through, and since Dan and Ella were both out on other cases for the day, I really didn't talk to anyone and got a lot done. It felt weird and lonely not to have Lucifer in his typical spot beside me, whining about something or flirting with passing officers. Since there was nothing I could do about it, I mentally stuffed the feelings into the back of my brain and got on with things, and it worked until my phone rang. Though I knew it wouldn’t be him, I felt a weird case of nerves before picking up:</p><p>"Decker."</p><p>"Chloe, it's me!" Dan said loudly, background noise making it hard to hear him. </p><p>"Where are you? Is everything ok?"</p><p>"Meet us at the private jet hangar over at LAX. We've got a body."</p><p> </p><p>By the time I pulled up at the hangar, it was nearly dark. As I got out of my car and looked around for Dan, I unconsciously tugged on the lapels of my black jacket, suddenly remembering the ridiculous conversation about my work clothes with Trixie from that morning. So what if I dressed a little predictably? My job didn't need me to be a fashion plate, and they certainly weren't paying me enough for more variety in my wardrobe. I didn’t really care either way as long as I could comfortably tackle and cuff any perp we tracked.</p><p>I tried to put the whole thing out of my mind as I approached my ex-husband. He too was wearing a simple jacket, with a gray shirt and jeans. Completely normal clothes for our jobs. Ugh, why couldn't I let this go? I greeted him, ready to get the details on our newest case.</p><p>"Hey Chlo...no Lucifer tonight?" he asked with some venom in his tone, so I just rolled my eyes and decided to get it out of the way.</p><p>"No, actually he and I aren't working together anymore." I told him, keeping my voice as breezy and casual as I could.</p><p>"What, for real? What happened?" he asked, leading me over to where Ella was crouched over the body. At least the guy didn't look particularly bloody or gruesome tonight. I shivered a tiny bit, still feeling the familiar pull in my heart for each new victim.</p><p>"I don't really want to talk about it. I'm fine-- I was fine before Lucifer, and I'll be fine after. It's really for the best," I insisted, willing him to let it go. He got the drift immediately.</p><p>"Alright, no argument from me." he muttered as we reached the vic. He read me the info off a sheet. "This is Pablo Silva, hotshot jewelry designer from Beverly Hills-- just back from the Middle East." </p><p>"Cause of death is really obvi. Manual strangulation: not a fun way to go, unless it's your thing," Ella told us, and I crouched down to get a closer look. "There were pistachio shells under the body, which is so weird because there aren't any anywhere on the plane." she continued, looking around like she'd lost something.</p><p>"But the cabin's full of other great stuff. Shrooms, weed, coke," Dan continued, as Ella raised her eyebrows. I looked down at her curiously.</p><p>"What? I was just gonna say you might want to keep Lucifer away from the evidence if you don't want any to go missing," she joked, standing up. "Wait a second, where is Lucifer?" </p><p>Ella had a concerned look on her face as she glanced from me to Dan and back, her eyes widening. "He was decapitated?!!” she burst out, as Dan was doing a "stop talking" gesture with his hands. Sometimes I couldn't believe how naive Ella could be, especially with her brains. Of course, she barely knew even a fraction of the celestial mindfuck surrounding us all. It was easy to forget that.</p><p>"No," I assured her, sighing for a moment. "He's just not going to be working with us anymore."</p><p>When Ella’s eyes threatened to pop out of her head at the news, Dan urged her to just focus on the case, so we went to interview Pablo's business partner. We met a nervous looking man named Toby Golden, co-owner of Golden Silva Jewelers. Lucifer would've gotten some serious mileage out of that name, I thought to myself with a tiny chuckle.</p><p>"We built it together, from the ground up. Pablo handles creative, I handle the business side. Have you found the necklace?" he asked eagerly, which I noted for later.</p><p>It turned out to be a pretty expensive piece of jewelry-- a necklace with a name like The Desert Mirage was bound to be impressive.</p><p>"It's a 3 million dollar original. Pablo finished it in Dubai. That's where we get our best deals, buying gold and diamonds," Toby explained, gesturing to the plane standing near us. We asked a few more questions, including alibi info, and he also played us a shady sounding voicemail Pablo had left him. Allegedly, some Arabic speaking men wanted the necklace, but they beat him up and got away instead.</p><p>“Well, do you know anyone who speaks Arabic?” Dan asked Toby suspiciously. He admitted that quite a few of their associates fit the profile, so we asked him to compile a list for us, then we split up to check details.</p><p>“Hey- you and Lucifer, spill. My sister sense is tingling,” Ella sidled up next to me, slinginh a comforting arm on my shoulder. I gave in, breathing in and puffing my cheeks to exhale.</p><p>“Ok, ok. Lucifer and I had a really bad fight,” I admitted, cringing at some of the things we’d said to each other. Ella smiled knowingly, removing her arm to give me a little affectionate punch on the arm.</p><p>“Oh, you guys! It’s ok, fights are totally normal-“ she wanted to say more, but I cut her off, starting to walk faster toward my car.</p><p>“Not this one. He and I have some pretty serious issues that I don’t think can be resolved. Listen, I’m really worn out. I’ll see you in the morning, sweetie,” I told her, squeezing her shoulder as her face crumpled. As I reached the cruiser, I tried to reassure her over my shoulder: “Hey, it’s Lucifer! I’m sure that if you went over to Lux right now, he’d be doing just fine.”</p><p>————————————</p><p> </p><p>About an hour later, Eve was dropped off right in front of what she was told was Los Angeles’ hottest nightclub. She looked up, admiring the Art Deco entrance to this place named “Lux” and giggled— of course Lucifer would name his den of debauchery after himself!</p><p>Granted easy access into the place, she headed to the first bartender she saw and ordered a drink to celebrate her arrival: the delicious sounding “Appletini.” As she sipped, the fresh zing of apple, combined with a pleasant sugary rush, gave her the boost she’d need for her night of conquest. </p><p>After a thorough look around the club, she was disappointed not to see him, but she knew that since Lucifer would find her, she shouldn’t wait around while she could be dancing. High-spirited and finally freed from her eternity in Paradise, she stepped out onto the pulsing dance floor.</p><p>Her love did indeed make his appearance shortly thereafter, the crowd parting for him as he waded through the dancers as if he was under a spell. “Eve?” he shouted to be heard over the music, and she turned to take in the sight of him at last.</p><p>Why was he wearing a bathrobe? He looked extremely unkempt, but that could be easily fixed. “Luce!” she exclaimed with girlish excitement. “Long time no see, huh?”</p><p>The next thing she knew, she was in his apartment, sitting atop the nightclub. Eve found Lucifer to be alarmingly unhappy, and his place was filled with boxes of food and emptied alcohol bottles. Could the Devil get depressed? He invited her to sit.</p><p>“It’s so strange, seeing you here, on Earth,” he mused, looking at her like she was a ghost. Eve just brightened her smile, looking down to straighten the draping of her dress.</p><p>“Well, here I am, straight from Heaven’s side door! You know I’ve always been a bit of a rule breaker, so I decided it was time I flew the coop!” she exclaimed, with all of the passion and excitement in her arsenal. </p><p>He barely reacted, but at least got up to pour her a drink. Taking it, she sniffed and almost sneezed from the whisky’s intensity, earning her a little laugh. Since he was watching her, she drank deeply, finding that she enjoyed the burn down her throat. Then she rose to her feet, and she smiled at him over the rim of her glass. </p><p>“You see, I always felt like something was missing— you know that I didn’t choose Adam. We got along just fine, but I don’t think he ever really loved me,” she admitted, walking toward the big balcony overlooking the city. She looked at him over her shoulder, pouting, “Adam just never knew the real me, you know?”</p><p>“It hurts not being accepted for who you are,” he said bitterly, walking over to her and gesturing for her to join him outside. They stood side by side, taking in the view.</p><p>“Did you know that I’ve been in Heaven longer than any other human, Luce?” she mused, looking at him with big sad eyes. He shook his head, gazing back at her with more interest than before, so she went on. “After awhile, I started meeting every soul as they entered the Pearly Gates, just taking in all of their incredible stories! That’s when I realized something huge—what I desired most could only be found down here.” </p><p>“And pray tell, what was that?” he asked, giving her a very familiar wolfish grin. Eve did NOT want to give away her whole story just yet, so she just told him excitement and thrill-seeking had brought her to Los Angeles. He seemed to buy it, but her spirit was more than a little crushed when he suggested she stay at some fancy hotel.</p><p>As she reluctantly followed him out of the building, the car he’d ordered to take her away pulled up and she had to get in. But Eve was in luck, because the driver pulled a gun on them, yelling at her about that beautiful necklace from the plane trip. Lucifer pulled her out of the car, and once he revived from being shot in the face, they went back inside. </p><p>Excitement, a chance to stay with Lucifer, and getting to take part in finding the stolen necklace? The plan was humming along excellently, even though Lucifer barely spoke to her after showing her the guest bedroom. </p><p>It barely matters, she thought to herself with a grin. After he realized that he couldn’t be without her anymore, the Devil would make his life all about Eve.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. All Shook Up Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Buckle up, folks, because it’s gonna be a bumpy ride from here on out! </p><p>There are some naughty bits in this chapter, but when two women are fighting over the Devil, things are bound to get complicated 😈 </p><p>As always, questions and comments are always welcome! I’m making quite a few alterations to the plot, so ask away :)  Thanks for reading! xoxo</p>
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    <p>Eve was thrilled to see Lucifer putting in so much effort to protect her by finding that pesky necklace. That morning, she’d come out of her bedroom to see him looking devilishly handsome in a gray suit, bright-eyed and ready to begin the search. </p><p>First, they’d stopped at the mansion of one Bashir Al Fassad, the man who’d actually planned on giving The Desert Mirage to his wife. Eve watched with pride as Lucifer negotiated with Fassad to ensure her safety, agreeing to find the necklace and return it, no strings attached.</p><p>As they walked back to Lucifer’s corvette, Eve noticed the troubled look on his face.</p><p>“So Luce, what’s the next step in our plan?” she asked, trying to pep him up.</p><p>“I think we’re going to need to take a trip down to the precinct where I used to work, and I’d been hoping to avoid that,” he said, deep in thought as he opened the passenger side for her. </p><p>“Why, what’s the problem?”</p><p>“Well, since the Detective is on the case, and she’s already beaten us to Fassad’s, we need to ascertain her next step and beat her to the punch. And o-ho, I think I know just how you can help!” he said triumphantly, giving her a winning smile. </p><p> </p><p>As they parked at the precinct, Lucifer went over all the details: Eve was to distract ‘The Detective’ by offering useless information on Pablo and the necklace. Meanwhile, he would go and bribe a co-worker called Ms. Lopez into giving up further details. </p><p>“Don’t worry, darling, you’ll do wonderfully,” he assured her, putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her into the building. Eve felt a shudder of excitement run through her at his touch, heading quickly into an elevator. Pressing a button marked 2, he gave her a few last minute instructions. </p><p>“Now, Detective Decker is formidable, and frightfully good at her job. You’ll have to keep her occupied for as long as you can manage,” he said, looking nervous as he removed his flask from his jacket pocket for a nip of whisky. “And remember: don’t mention me at all. I don’t want her to know I’m here,” he whispered as the elevator doors opened.</p><p>“Don’t you worry, Luce. I’m up for the job!” she whispered back with a grin. Eve didn’t get a chance to say anything else, because as soon as they entered, he pointer her toward the Homicide department and disappeared. Eve gasped at the scene before her: Lucifer worked with this multitude of plain-looking people? </p><p>She couldn’t imagine why he would voluntarily come to this place to aid these particular humans in solving crimes. Why, none of them would even get past the bouncers line at Lux! Remembering the task at hand, Eve asked a passerby where to find Detective Decker. Seconds later, she found herself face to face with the woman who inspired the Devil himself to bring justice to the Average Joe.</p><p>“Hello,” she said sweetly, trying to get the other woman’s attention. Detective Decker looked up, meeting Eve’s eyes with professional courtesy. The other woman’s outfit was boring- a striped button down shirt and some dark jeans- but Eve could feel some kind of extraordinary energy pulsing from her aura. Detective Decker was clearly a very special human, and it worried her.</p><p>“I think I might be able to help you with your case.”</p><p>As Eve followed her into a private room, she wracked her brain trying to figure it out; it felt like she knew this woman in some way. How was that possible? </p><p>Detective Decker cleared her throat, jolting Eve from her reverie. “So, you’re the woman we saw in photographs from Pablo Silva’s jet? We had a hard time id’ing you,” she said crisply, placing a couple of photos on the metal table. </p><p>“Oh, I’m not from around here; but yes, that’s me!” Eve replied, her voice more steady than she felt. As the Detective asked her questions and Eve delivered the non-helpful advice, she continued to think, staring at the blond woman’s face. Those deep blue-green eyes; that hair, freed from its harsh ponytail to frame her face...Maybe Eve was feeling envy that Lucifer clearly held her in high regard? </p><p>“Well, we appreciate you coming in,” Detective Decker said, ending the interview since it was clearly yielding nothing. But Eve stopped her, leaning in closer. </p><p>“You seem very smart and very kind. I can see how someone would be drawn to you,” Eve said, biting her bottom lip and looking up at the other woman through her eyelashes. It always worked wonders with men, but Eve’s words seem to annoy this Detective, who gawked at her with an air of disbelief.</p><p>“You also seem a little...sad,” Eve continued, reaching out to touch her hand. The jolt of skin contact sent Eve reeling unexpectedly.</p><p>“Excuse me?” the Detective responded curtly, drawing her hand away. </p><p>“Don’t worry. There’s someone out there for everyone,” Eve whispered, smiling sympathetically for Detective Decker’s benefit. So what if she twisted the knife of fate one teeny, tiny little bit?</p><p>Eve achieved her goal, since the Detective abruptly stood, gathering her papers awkwardly. “We’re done here. Thanks for coming in,” she said coldly, opening the door for Eve, then stomping out herself. </p><p>As she headed back to the rendezvous point with Lucifer, Eve smiled to herself with satisfaction. She knew exactly who this woman was: Chloe Decker had broken her son’s heart, and Lucifer ended Cain’s tortured life on Earth in order to protect his precious detective.  </p><p>Eve learned how to check in on her earthbound son over the millennia, and when Cain fell in love and finally got his mark erased, Eve tried to catch brief flashes of his daily life. She’d seen him out on dates with Ms. Decker, whom he called Chloe. She rejoiced when Chloe accepted Cain’s proposal, and darkened with cold fury when she rejected him. If Chloe Decker and The Detective were one person, it was more important than ever to separate her from Lucifer permanently.</p><p>Now, she had to plan her next move, and that involved ramping up her flirtations with Lucifer, who appeared seconds later looking gleeful. “I’ve gotten exactly what we need. Let’s get out of here,” he whispered playfully, offering her his arm. She took it, smiling widely. </p><p>——————————— </p><p>Chloe</p><p>I opened my eyes to find a man in my bed, under my comforter. My eyes widened in fear and shock, and my immediate impulse was to crack my knee against his jaw. </p><p>“Good morning, Detective,” a familiar, muffled voice rumbled from below. “I thought I’d wake you with a happy ending,” he said, sending kisses up the insides of my thighs. </p><p>I had no idea how he’d gotten here or why, but any objections or questions disappeared from my mind. </p><p>“Go right ahead,” I breathed, since it was the only thing I could think of so say. Lucifer brought his warm hands to my hips, dragging my underwear down, and I bent my knees up to assist. He chuckled, squeezing my knees gently and drawing them out to the sides. </p><p>I realized that I was fully exposed, which should’ve shocked me, but I was too blissed out to care. I reached down to grab whatever handful of his hair I could reach, drawing his head closer. Another chuckle, though this time I could feel his breathing right against my crotch.</p><p>“Why aren’t you doing anything?” I whined, desperate to feel his touch. A third chuckle, followed by a tiny lick to my center, causing me to shudder involuntarily. </p><p>“Ah, I see she forgets that I can’t rely on my superior intuitive skills because she is immune....Tell me which first: fingers?” and he tickled the inside of my thigh, “Or...”</p><p>Without warning, Lucifer plunged his tongue into the hot slickness that his teasing had created, and I moaned wantonly, feeling the pleasure begin to build. He really was an expert at his craft, at first, trying a few different twists and turns, gauging my enthusiasm by my voice, my hands in his hair, and his own instincts. Then, when he’d figured out exactly what worked for me (I tried not to let my brain count how many people he’d gone down on before this), he concentrated on those points, modifying speed, pushing me toward the brink and holding me back again and again.</p><p>I enjoyed all of it. I’d never felt so much excitement from head before because of my own self-consciousness, but this was different. This was us, and it felt like we should’ve been doing this from the beginning.</p><p>His fingers dug a bit deeper into the flesh on my hips than was comfortable, but that bit of pain only increased my desire for him. As if reading my mind, he laughed softly and kept pressing, his fingers reaching back for my ass while his thumbs stayed at my hips. Eventually my hips starting grinding into his face of their own accord, and when I realized it, I could barely form words.</p><p>“Fingers...Please, I need your fingers too, babe,” I panted, and he was so focused on worshiping my body that he didn’t have a quippy line or a bad pun. He just slid two long fingers in, pumping against my g-spot with ease. It felt so good, so far beyond anything I’d ever experienced that I begged for release. It would only take a few...more...</p><p> </p><p>I woke up in my bedroom alone in the dark, sweating and panting as if the sex was actually happening. It was the third night in a row, and each night had been a different position and place. The first night, we’d been in his hot tub; last night, he had me pressed up against the lockers at that high school from the Class of 3001 case. What was going on with me?</p><p>As with the previous nights, I was also completely keyed up, so I fumbled around my bedside table drawer, grabbing my rabbit vibrator to take care of tonight’s unfulfilled urges. It did the job well enough, but I still felt the emptiness of not having a warm, attentive body beside me. And it wasn’t just about sex; I missed the camaraderie of our partnership, the effortless back and forth that came just as easily with solving cases as it did with banter and flirting. Like a modern day Hepburn and Tracy, if Spencer Tracy was actually Satan.</p><p>Since I realized I wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon, I thought over the pros and cons of our partnership/whatever-ship. The basic truth was inescapable: Lucifer=Devil, God is real, angels can live among us on Earth, a person goes to heaven or hell after death, etc.</p><p>Pro: Linda had not only been in a romantic relationship with Amenadiel, but she was now pregnant with a half angel baby. Solid proof that angels and humans can have a successful, loving relationship.</p><p>Con: Did that mean that there could be Lucifer Juniors around the world, even though he claimed it was impossible?</p><p>Pro: Before knowing the truth, I loved Lucifer the guy, my partner. He was still basically that guy (with the added benefits of not being crazy, an alcoholic, or riddled with STDs).</p><p>Pro: He got along well with most people, including my daughter and my mother, and cared a hell of a lot about me.</p><p>Con: Wasn’t loving the Devil a terrible sin? Hadn’t I run away from that Devil, and been prepared to help a psycho priest ban him from Earth via excommunication? Was I destined to burn in Hell?</p><p>Con: He was so angry with me that I didn’t know if he even felt love for me any more.</p><p>That was the million dollar question, and it was where my thoughts ended up for the third night in a row. Did Lucifer even want a relationship of any kind with me? Had I lost everything because of my own fear and stupidity? My eyes welled up with tears, and in the quiet of my own room, I cried myself back to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Much later that same day, I was flying high with the excitement that can only come from the puzzle pieces of a case finally clicking together. Dan and I had the location for a shady auction where the necklace would allegedly be sold. The plan was set: We would stage a sting, seize the necklace and apprehend the thief. Pretty standard stuff, though it would be cool to see a $3 million piece of jewelry up close.</p><p>As I dressed in the waiter’s uniform I’d wear to infiltrate the auction site, I tried to get a bizarre conversation from earlier out of my mind. Why had that woman come to the precinct, given us no useful information, and then told me that I looked sad and “there’s someone out there for everyone”? Maybe she was simply one of those odd ducks who came to the station every once in awhile (Dan and I still joked about the guy who’d entered the station claiming that a criminal named Jack O’Lantern stole his necklace). </p><p>“Hey Chlo, just doing a sound check. Are we good?” Dan asked, testing my earpiece. He and the team were waiting nearby. </p><p>“Yeah Dan, all good. The auction should start on time, so be prepared to come in at any minute,” I replied discreetly, getting my head back in the game. I had to blend in with the wait staff and get some drinks on my tray so I could surveil the guests. Their reactions to The Desert Mirage coming up for auction could wrap the whole case.</p><p>Everything was proceeding smoothly: I had my cover, the necklace was only minutes from auction, and I already had several shady characters marked as possible suspects. </p><p>The only thing that could get in our way now was the random, unpredictable sort of scenario that occasionally bungled things up. At the LAPD, we called them whirlwinds.</p><p>I wasn’t surprised that our whirlwind that night turned out to be Lucifer. The surprise was the woman on his arm.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. All Shook Up Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And so it begins! This installment’s perspectives come from Chloe and Lucifer (Eve took a break to, erm, recover), and I hope I did him justice!</p><p>I promise things will get better! </p><p>Let me know what you think! xoxo</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p>I watched with surprise and horror as Lucifer and Ms. “There’s someone out there for everyone” commanded the crowd’s attention as they swanned down the ornate staircase. He loved the attention, handsome as ever in one if his designer tuxes. I had to admit she looked stunning too, stressed just like a movie star in a sparkly floor length gown. </p><p>The jealous teen inside of me wanted to claw her eyes out for stepping into my territory, but he was never actually mine to begin with. They just looked so good together, and damn if it didn’t sting.</p><p>I stayed across the room, and kept an eye on them as I continued to size up the guests. Still, he managed to sneak backstage, and they were giggling together as he commandeered two glasses of champagne from a tray just like mine. Quiet as a mouse, I was waiting for them near the exit. He froze.</p><p>“Detective,” he began, looking at me with narrowed eyes. “Afraid you’ve missed all the fun,” and he patted his jacket, where I saw a necklace shaped lump bulge from his inner pocket. She simpered beside him, looking like the cat who got the cream.</p><p>“I am not here to have fun! I’m here to solve a murder!” I replied in a harsh whisper. </p><p>“Hello again, Detective,” she said, calling attention to herself. Lucifer glanced down at her with a grin.</p><p>“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, before turning my attention back to my ex-partner. “Care to explain how you two know each other?” </p><p>“It’s none of your concern, really. Eve is my date, and we’re leaving,” he snapped back. I blocked their path to the exit.</p><p>“I need that necklace to flush out Pablo’s killer,” I said through gritted teeth. And how did Lucifer react? He had the nerve to laugh.</p><p>“And what makes you think I care?” </p><p>“Well, despite our issues, I think you still do” I said, the words coming slowly because of the hurtful things he’d said. For a split second, his expression softened, seeming to forget we were at a massive impasse.</p><p>“If we help you, you’ll let us leave with the necklace and return it to Bashir?” he queried suspiciously, walls going right back up. I looked away, shaking my head at his carelessness. So this was how it was going to be? He knew I couldn’t make any assurances— it'd be my ass on the line.</p><p>“You know I can’t promise that,” I replied, my eyes meeting his in defeat. His gaze turned icy, and said nothing, placing his empty champagne flute on my tray. Eve did the same, looking up at him with doe eyes, and rested a hand on his bicep. </p><p>“Come on, Luce, where else do we have to be? It’ll be fun!” she teased him, acting like they’d been together forever. His glance passed from her to me, and then to a fresh glass of champagne on my tray. </p><p>“Oh, bloody hell!” he grumbled, downing it in one gulp. </p><p> </p><p>The auction began, and Lucifer wound up placing the winning bid of $10 million. I couldn’t even fathom that amount of money, and he tossed it around like chump change. ‘We’re two totally different people. It would never have worked out anyway,’ I reminded myself, vowing to make it my mantra. </p><p>I didn’t have much more time to think about it because everything went to hell mere minutes later.</p><p>Toby Golden, Pablo’s erstwhile partner, turned out to be the killer, and he’d held Eve at gunpoint until she punched him in the balls with Lucifer’s encouragement. Dan and the team entered moments later, pinning our perp to the ground and securing the area. </p><p>Because the procedural part of our work had never really mattered to him, Lucifer stood next to Dan, testily asking him to hand over the necklace. He looked up from his crouch over the man we just arrested for murder.</p><p>“Do you really think I’d just hand you stolen evidence?” Dan spat out in disbelief, surprising both me and Lucifer with the malice in his tone.</p><p>Before I could get a word in edgewise, they were gone.</p><p>————————</p><p>Lucifer parked his his car back in the private section of the garage underneath Lux, feeling a mix of anger and disappointment over the evening’s events. He couldn’t believe that Daniel (and the Detective, by default) refused to help them, setting off a chain reaction that would lead to its own set of problems. </p><p>He’d rather eat his Armani than have to pay Fassad $3 million because of this cursed necklace, and probably extra because that imbecile Turkish Pete knew that buyers were willing to pay a lot more. </p><p>What he really wanted to do was unwind, take a long shower and spend time playing his piano— the one thing that truly comforted him in times of emotional strife. But where did that leave Eve? She’d been an enormous help tonight, and she was clearly up for a roll in the proverbial hay. She deserved his particular brand of appreciation.</p><p>Speaking of which, when WAS the last time he’d been up for sex? Oh right, that was before Chloe stomped on his heart and threw it on a dumpster fire. He still couldn’t believe that she had personified all of his greatest fears; Chloe was the one and only person who made him vulnerable, body and soul, the first human he’d ever wanted to love. He could admit that truth in his own cracked heart, but he’d never tell anyone else.</p><p>Guess she no longer needed the eggs. </p><p>He did know for a fact, however, that the Detective was no fan of Eve’s; he could practically feel the resentment thrumming in her veins when he’d walked in with Eve on his arm. It was petty, but the Devil could afford it every now and then.</p><p>Lucifer ambled over to the bar when they arrived back upstairs, his beautiful bottle of Macallan 50 calling his name like a siren. Pouring himself a generous three fingers’ worth of the stuff and a sample for Eve to taste as well, he threw his jacket somewhere towards the couches and found her standing out on the balcony, barefooted. </p><p>Did she not know that she was letting vintage Oscar de la Renta, borrowed by cashing in a favor from the fashion label’s new creative director, trail all over the floor? He spent ten seconds fuming, but chuckled to himself at the realization that no, she couldn’t know about de la Renta because she’d been in Heaven until 
quite recently... It was truly surreal.</p><p>He toed off his shoes and stepped to join her, offering the glass with a smile. She sipped it daintily.</p><p>“Oh, Luce! This is so delicious,” she said silkily, drawing nearer to him with a smile. She dipped a finger into her glass and touched it to his lips. He smiled, drawing her finger into his mouth, then releasing it with a gentle bite. His eyes traveled to her beautiful mouth, and was about to lean in for a kiss when she stopped him, placing a gentle hand on his chest.</p><p>“Lucifer, before we go any further, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, swallowing nervously. </p><p>He stepped back as though he’d gotten a strong electric shock, but motioned for her to continue.</p><p>“I didn’t tell you the entire truth about why I came to Earth,” Eve said quickly, her gaze darting all around. He knew all of this was too good to be true: Eve hadn’t suddenly landed in his city just for funsies. Was she on a mission from Dad? Was she there to avenge Cain?</p><p>“Well then tell us your tale, Eve!” Lucifer said angrily, all of the hurt and pain he’d suffered from Chloe’s rejection running through his brain.</p><p>But she softened, stepping up close yet again and placing a hand on his cheek. “No, it’s nothing that bad, Luce! I was just embarrassed to tell you before, when you were ready to ship me off to some hotel,”</p><p>As she paused, he looked at her with trepidation, and she saw the fear in his eyes.</p><p>“Wait, you’re acting like this because of her! You’re upset about Chloe, aren’t you?” she asked softly.</p><p>“I told you, that’s over,” Lucifer replied, trying to bury his pain by moving closer to her touch.</p><p>“She rejected you, didn’t she? The detective doesn’t accept you for who you really are,” Eve realized it like a flash of lightning. That’s why he’d been so sensitive and bitter at the auction. He’d been hurt, and only she could help.</p><p>“She doesn’t, you’re right. But you don’t know me either— who I truly am,” he said it so softly that she barely heard it against the busy sounds of Los Angeles below. Grabbing his hand, she led him back inside and stood before him.</p><p>“Show me,” Eve encouraged, but he took his hand out of hers and stepped back with a grim look on his face.</p><p>“Very well, but you asked for it,” and Lucifer’s face morphed into the fiery red skin of the Devil. But instead of recoiling in horror like he expected, she only had curiosity on her face. She reached her hands up, and he nodded, allowing her to feel the ancient scars and rough texture.</p><p>“You wanna know what I think? I think you’re still that sexy, dangerous Devil from the Garden. You’re the guy taught me to take what I wanted and be free, so I don’t care which face you show me— it’s all the same you,” she told him with a smile, and she brought his face to hers, reaching out to kiss the most feared visage in creation. It was unbelievable, unprecedented outside of Hell.</p><p>Lucifer could think of no words to describe how he felt in that moment, a rarity in itself. When their lips parted, she saw his handsome face staring back at her with lust in his eyes. </p><p>Eve turned her back to him and held her hair over to one side so he could undo the long zipper of her dress. It dropped down to puddle around her ankles, revealing nothing but skin and curves and a delicious looking neck. His hands settled on her shoulders first, traveling down her arms as began nuzzling her neck. Her breath quickened and he smiled as he increased the intensity.</p><p>Of course, Lucifer could anticipate what she wanted, so he stroked his palms down her sides and hips, nipping and sucking at her neck as he reached back up to cup her breasts. A long, loud moan escaped her throat, filling him with a need he didn’t realize had been so deeply buried. He spun her around, getting down on his knees in order to pay proper homage to her gorgeous chest. Each squeeze, flick and bite and suckle made her beg for more, and he’d be damned if he didn’t intend to fill every last desire she had. </p><p>“Lucifer...please...I’ve waited so long. I need you...now,” she struggled to get the words out, her eyes glazed over with desire. He stood up immediately, hoisting her over one shoulder as he carried her to the bedroom, Eve giggling every step of the way. </p><p>They went at it like rabbits on almost every surface of the apartment: the couch, the bar, the armchair, the floor, the desk; he fucked her against the library ladder, the wall, even the kitchen sink. He fucked her with his fingers and his tongue, and she gave as good as she got. Eve loved his closet full of sex toys, asking him to use his favorites with her. She wanted to try everything, and wanted him to put himself everywhere. </p><p>Creation’s first woman had not lied: Eve was up for anything, and wanted to know and feel ALL of him. She wanted to try his drugs, and experience one his famous orgies. It was exactly what he’d been fantasizing about for years— so why did he still see Chloe every time he closed his eyes? Why did he have to consciously avoid shouting her name? His lack of control over the fact that he couldn’t simply fuck her out of his mind shook Lucifer to his core. </p><p>But he calmed down and carried on. Linda could help him deal with those pesky feelings at his next appointment. </p><p>————————-</p><p>It wasn’t until late the next afternoon, when he came down to the club to check on preparations for that night’s gigantic bachelorette extravaganza, that Lucifer finally received the box. </p><p>Patrick signaled to him as he passed by the bar: “Hey boss, Detective Decker came by last night and and dropped this off for you. She didn’t leave any other message,” he reported, bringing out a small white square box out. It said his name on top in childish print that looked suspiciously urchin-like. </p><p>“Thank you, Patrick darling,” he replied, crossing the room to sit down at his piano bench.</p><p>He smiled as he opened the box, realizing that the offspring had obviously bought this for him in secret. There was a note inside:</p><p>“Dear Lucifer: Hello from Rome! I got this present for you at a cool store you would like. I spent my own money, but don’t tell mom because I was supposed to save it! I miss you- Trixie”</p><p>‘The urchin bought me something because she missed me while they were away,’ he mused, perplexed and more deeply touched than he’d ever let on. He had to bite back a tide of emotions as he lifted out something small and made of silver-coated metal. It was a keychain, decorated with small skulls from the key ring to the clasp. The clasp had a larger skull with red jewel eyes. Impressive.</p><p>Beatrice clearly had an eye for detail, he mused, slipping it in his pocket so he could attach his keys later. How could he figure out a way to properly thank the child without her parents’ knowledge? That might be a fun little diversion...

For now, though, he had a set list to practice for tonight’s blushing bride-to-be and 75 of her best friends, and he was exhausted from last night. He knew they’d be easily impressed no matter what he played, but Lucifer always went the extra mile for sexy bachelorettes.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Dens of Sin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Happy Friday! </p><p>In today’s installment, Eve burrows deeper into Lucifer’s life while Chloe deals with internal and external dilemmas. You also get a dose of drunk Ella :) </p><p>Hope you enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated! xoxo</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p>We wrapped up our work at the crime scene by 10pm, and after the unis took Toby Golden away, I looked around for Dan. He stood near the exit, giving some last minute instructions to a few junior officers.</p><p>He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before. Had his hair always been so peppered with white around the temples? He was obviously still suffering with his grief over Charlotte, and it seemed clear to me that Dan needed more help than he was getting. </p><p>“Hey,” I said, approaching him with a shrug of my shoulders. He yawned, stretching his arms up and out to the sides, and put his clipboard down to give me his full attention. </p><p>“I bet you’re glad that case is over,” he said, giving me a half smile under his raised eyebrows. I returned it, leaning on a nearby column. </p><p>“Well yeah, I won’t be sorry to say sayonara to that damned necklace, or anyone who wore it,” I answered honestly, letting my guard drop, feeling too tired for bullshit. Dan nodded.</p><p>“What the hell’s going on with Lucifer anyway? It’s like he’s decided to up his asshole game a few notches. Maybe that new lady friend of his is exactly what he needs to stop meddling in our lives. I’ll be one happy sonofabitch if that’s what keeps him away from both you and Trix,” he said, brightening at the thought.</p><p>“I don’t know if she’d agree, Dan,” I said, my hackles raised. “Trix still loves Lucifer a ridiculous amount. Did she happen to mention that she bought him something in Rome without telling me?”</p><p>Dan laughed. “Hey, she’s got a huge heart, always has. Have you looked to see what it is?” I shook my head, remembering my promise to her. </p><p>“No, she’s getting older and we agreed that we’d give her a bit more of her own space. I’m gonna drop it off at Lux tonight, with one of the bartenders. That way I don’t have to run into them at all,” I told him, mumbling the last part. </p><p>“Good luck with that, Chlo,” he said with a mirthless smile. “That bastard doesn’t deserve to have you around anyway. I’m headed out- see you in the morning,” he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze as he grabbed his jacket and walked into the night.</p><p>Dan didn’t need even more proof that I was 100% jealous of that woman who’d flown into our lives out of nowhere. Hopefully, Lucifer was just blowing off steam in his usual ways, and be back for our next case. </p><p>Traffic wasn’t all that cooperative, and I didn’t reach Lux for another hour. ‘Well, at least the babysitter won’t mind the extra pay,’ I thought to myself as I was waved into the private parking area. I parked a few cars away from the corvette, taking a moment to appreciate its beauty as a finely made machine: a powerful car for a powerful guy. A gorgeous, funny, powerful grudge-holder who’d existed literally forever. It still blew my mind that Lucifer was immortal. </p><p>I took the elevator up to the club level, my finger itching to press the button that’d send me up to the Penthouse. Bad idea— he and his “friends” were almost certainly up there doing all sorts of illegal things that I had no desire to witness. </p><p>As usual, the club was full of happy-go-lucky Angelenos, drinking and dancing the work day away. I just wanted to find a reliable Lux employee to leave the gift with and get the hell out of there.</p><p>Luckily, I spotted Andre, a bartender who’d been working there for a couple of years. Even though I knew he also handled drug purchases for the club, I trusted him because Lucifer trusted him. Everyone who worked for him was warned never to break Lucifer’s trust, I thought with a shiver. I made my way over to Andre, who was busy cleaning glasses. “How are you tonight, Detective Decker? Anything I can mix up for you?” he asked with a huge smile, the kind of genuine grin that brought a smile to my face. </p><p>“Nope, not tonight, Andre,” I told him, folding an elbow against the bar. I put the gift box down and slid it over. “This is something my daughter bought for Lucifer. Can you make sure that he gets it?”</p><p>Andre looked confused, since he’d seen me go in and out of Lucifer’s apartment hundreds of times. Then, a realization passed over his face. “You’ve got it, Detective. The Boss sort of has a private party going on up there. Man, that chick he’s with is a 10,” he said, waggling his eyebrows conspiratorially, as if Lucifer had a sock up on the door of his dorm room. Ugh, this was so embarrassing!</p><p>“Yup, yup, so cool!” I said, flashing him the thumbs up sign. “Anyway, yeah, it’s just a tiny thing, no biggie! You can get it to him whenever, no message...” I just backed away from the bar and was about to bolt to the elevator when I ran into Ella. She was drunk as a skunk.</p><p>“Chloeeeeeeee! What’s happenin’ chickie?” Ella said in greeting, throwing her arms around me. </p><p>“Hey! I was just about to go home, just dropped by for a sec,” I told her, wondering who she’d come with and why she was out drinking during the week.</p><p>“Ohhhh yeah, did you come to see our devilish friend? He loooooooves you!!!” Ella sloshed around unsteadily, pointing at me with a shit-eating grin on her face. I ignored what she was babbling about and just tried to make sure she wasn’t there alone.</p><p>“Do you have a way to get home? I can take you if you want!” I offered, yelling so she could hear me over the heavy bass thumping all around us. The loudness of the music, combined with the physical and emotional discomfort I felt about being in Lucifer’s space was beginning to make me feel claustrophobic. Ella just gave me a sloppy smile. </p><p>“Don’t worry Decker, I’ve got it covered. I just wanna tell you, I saw Lucifer an hour or two ago and he had a sexy lady with him. But he didn’t look happy, he was like a little lost puppy. So cute and fluffy, with big sad doggy eyes. Have a good tomorrow and I’ll see you tonight!” she said, giggling at her own mixup as a girl who seemed to know her grabbed her hand to lead her away. </p><p>I shook my head and watched her blend back into the crowd, hoping she’d be safe. I’d check on her tomorrow, maybe take her out to lunch to make sure she was really ok.</p><p> </p><p>When I finally reached home, it was almost midnight and I was beyond exhausted. But no matter how much I wanted to get a peaceful night’s sleep, Sex Dream Lucifer was back as usual. This time, though, while he had me up against my shower wall, thrusting into me faster and faster as I screamed his name, we had an observer. Eve watched us from her perch near my sink, filing her nails with a sharp silver dagger.</p><p>No one wound up seeing or hearing from Lucifer for over a week. </p><p>——————————————</p><p>“So, how are you feeling today, sleepyhead?” Eve giggled as she crept onto the bed, keeping her voice soft and affectionate as Lucifer awoke. She was rewarded with a slow, easy smile and the feeling of his warm arms reaching around her. She pulled herself up on her knees and scooted closer still, and he nuzzled his face into her lap.</p><p>“Come back to bed. Though I may not be awake, I’m definitely up,” he chuckled, the low rumbling of his sleepy voice sending shivers down her spine. </p><p>“Lucifer!!!” Eve squealed, gently nudging his back with the heel of her hand. “I ordered brunch from your favorite place, with all of the toppings for later...” she told him, whispering the last part into his ear with a sultry purr. </p><p>The last week had been simply amazing, Eve thought to herself as she watched him perk up at the mention of brunch. He was insatiable in his appetites: food, booze, drugs...and her, of course. As she got more used to life back on Earth, Eve slotted herself in perfectly with Lucifer’s decadent approach to living. </p><p>“Well this is a lovely surprise! Thank you darling,” he said, walking over to the kitchen counter. It was an overabundance of food, since she didn’t yet know every single one of his preferences, but she’d watch carefully. Grabbing a piece of bacon and stuffing it in his mouth, he took the cappuccino she had waiting, sipping it with a smile once he tasted his favorite whisky. </p><p>For herself, Eve took just a simple plate of fruit and a piece of toast.</p><p>As she ate, she found her mind wandering to tonight’s bacchanal at Lux, and which beautiful men and women they’d bring back up here. She delighted in the surprises each night brought, and how Lucifer made life feel exciting and dangerous. There was always a new thrill to experience, or a new high to chase.</p><p>The best part was that here, in Lucifer’s apartment in the sky, they could exist beyond the prohibitive laws of the outside world. Since she’d lured him away from that stick-in-the-mud detective, he willingly let the rules fly straight out the window. If Eve could keep the good times rolling, Lucifer would never care to see that awful woman again, but if necessary, It was comforting to know that all she’d have to do to ensure Chloe Decker stayed away forever was make a phone call.</p><p>Watching him devour the food she’d lovingly provided made Eve feel like a satisfied, debauched Mother Earth. She would see to it that he had everything he desired, so she could enjoy the fruits of her labor. Freedom, pleasure, fun, and all manner of things were at her nimble fingertips, and Eve had no intention of letting go of them (or him) ever again.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Wicked Games</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hello again! It took me a few days to write this one, but here you go :)</p><p>We’ve got action, we’ve got Trixie, and we have a possible psychological breakthrough! </p><p>Danger’s coming down the pike soon...</p><p>Keep the comments coming! I’m so happy that you guys are enjoying it 🥰</p><p>xoxo</p>
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    <p>Lucifer Morningstar was many things: Lord of Hell, Master of Desire, Nightclub Impresario, Michelangelo sculpture subject. But today, he was just worn out. </p><p>He hated to admit it, but his return to 24 hour a day hedonism hadn’t been an entirely positive experience. For one thing, he realized that he hadn’t given himself nearly enough credit for maintaining a satisfying balance between play at the club and work with the LAPD. Now that the scales were tipped entirely to one side, he felt lopsided too.</p><p>He missed work. He missed tiny things like the smell of stale coffee, the irritating buzz of fluorescent lighting, the soul-sucking boredom of stakeouts. He missed the thrill of piecing together clues, questioning suspects, and finally solving a difficult case.<br/>
It all boiled down to his innate desire for dispensing justice, really. How could he be sure the miscreants whom the Detective had as colleagues were doing it properly without him?</p><p>These matters plagued him as he walked through the door to Linda’s office. </p><p>“Lucifer, I haven’t heard from you in a little while. How are you doing?” she said in a neutral tone, watching him skeptically over the rims of her glasses.</p><p>“Doctor, I’m out of sorts and I need to ask you something,” he confessed, not ready to meet her eyes. She was silent as he huffed down on the couch.</p><p>“I should be ecstatic! Life has returned to the way it was when Maze and I first arrived, and it’s all Eve’s doing. She makes every waking hour a nonstop bacchanal, she’s beautiful and charming, and she caters to every whim I could possibly desire. The woman is literally up for anything, with anyone, at anytime,” he continued, giving Linda a very suggestive eyebrow waggle. She prompted him to go on, but not without an ‘are you serious?’ look on her face.</p><p>“Surely I’m obliged to give her everything she wants as well, because she actually accepts, nay appreciates that I’m the Devil, yes? Tit for tat, simple as that! How could I not be content?” he asked with his arms outstretched, genuinely frustrated and confused. </p><p>Linda felt like smashing her forehead against a brick wall. How could he not see past the end of his own nose?</p><p>“Lucifer, we’ve talked a lot about finding your place in this world in these sessions,” Linda began, leaning forward in her chair. “And now, you’ve experienced several significant changes in a matter of weeks: Battling Cain, Chloe's reaction to your devil face and her disappearing for a month, Eve’s arrival and her current place in your life, even your recent decision to put a freeze on your work with the LAPD— it's a lot for one person to handle,” she told him, ticking the issues off on her fingers. </p><p>Lucifer’s mind flashed through all of the situations Linda had just described. Yes, a lot had happened in a short period of time, but his whole existence was based on change. He’d never experienced this topsy-turvy feeling, though.</p><p>“I’m also leaning towards making amends with the Detective and her spawn,” he told her hesitantly, trying to sort out a completely different set of feelings. As upset as he’d been, Lucifer felt like he was drowning without her, and it hadn’t been more than a week since they last spoke. It was completely ridiculous behavior for a devil of his stature.</p><p>“Well, sounds like you’ve come to a decision on that already. How does it make you feel?” she challenged, causing Lucifer to roll his eyes. </p><p>“This is literally what I pay you for, Doctor!” he snapped, but she didn’t react. “Fine; yes, I would very much like to have them back in my life. But it remains unclear what I’m to do about Eve. She’s certainly a better romantic partner than someone who doesn’t know if she can accept me for who I am! At this point, the Detective and I have worked together for far too long for these truths to be an issue,” he said, the last part causing a tightness in his chest. </p><p>As he paused to pour himself some water, Linda looked past her patient and saw her friend, sitting in front of her in such pain. Was this a time to break to speak honestly, as a friend would? Or should she sit back objectively, guiding him towards his own revelations? </p><p>Their relationship had never really had strongly defined boundaries anyway. She cleared her throat, causing him to look up.</p><p>Ok, Lucifer, I’ve got one question for you: if Chloe decided that she could accept all of you, would Eve have any place in your life?”</p><p> </p><p>—————————<br/>
Chloe</p><p>About five days after my visit to Lux, a special messenger appeared at our door. He was there to give a deliver a very fancy piece of mail to Trixie. Excited, she tore open the envelope, took out a heavy cream notecard and scanned it while I waited to find out which of Trixie’s wealthy classmates was having a birthday party. Only in LA...</p><p>She frowned, then sighed dramatically as she passed it over to me. It was an apology note. From Lucifer.</p><p>“Mom, this is a really pretty card, but does Lucifer not want to be around us anymore?” she’d asked me, climbing into my lap for a hug. I pulled her to me, kissing the top of her head. I put the card to one side so it wouldn’t get smudged, since she’d started crying. </p><p>“Oh Trix, that’s not it. Lucifer’s going through some stuff right now, and he needs time to deal with it. He still cares about you a whole lot,” I assured her, rubbing comforting circles on her back. </p><p>“It doesn’t feel like that to me,” she pouted, pulling away to wipe her face on her sleeve. “He used to be here ALL the time, now it’s like he’s trying not to see us! Is it my fault?” she asked, pitch growing higher and higher as she wiggled out of my embrace. I tried to answer her, but Trixie wasn’t done.</p><p>She abruptly spun to face me. “Mom, is it your fault? Did you do something to drive him away, like with Daddy?” she cried, face full of heartbroken anger. My world stopped.</p><p>I never would’ve expected to hear such an accusation from my own kid. She looked stunned too, her face burning red, so I gestured for her to go sit on the couch. I sighed, my stern expression melting away.</p><p>“Trixie, I understand that you’re angry and confused and upset, but what you said isn’t true and you know it. Daddy and I made our decision together, and you know that we both love you as much as ever, right?”</p><p>She nodded as a small hiccup escaped her lips.</p><p>“And you know that Lucifer is our friend, and that sometimes friends have disagreements?”</p><p>Another nod, as her breathing slowed and the angry red blotches started to fade from her cheeks.</p><p>“Does that mean Lucifer will come back soon?” Trixie asked, her voice a little hoarse from her outburst. I crossed my arms and thought about her question for a moment.</p><p>“You know what, Monkey? I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him very soon,” I assured her with a smile. I couldn’t very well tell her that her mercurial, devilish friend hadn’t shown up for work all week. But if past incidents taught me anything, Lucifer couldn’t stay away for long.</p><p>We spent the rest of the evening baking chocolate chip cookies (oh, how the kid in me wanted to eat the batter raw!), and playing a few rounds of a grisly new card game Dan got her called Dungeon Mayhem. Maze’s influence was still strong in my girl...</p><p>And much later that night, I got my first text from Lucifer since I’d last seen him:</p><p>-LM: Detective, whilst I know we may not be on the very best of terms right now, I have a small request: may I speak to Beatrice sometime soon? I belatedly realized that sending a note to the child may have been  an error in judgment. As you know, I’m prone to those. </p><p>-CD: Lucifer, hi, I’m here. We talked about that earlier, and I don’t think Trixie would mind seeing you at all. In fact, she misses you.</p><p>-LM: Well, I’m very glad to be in good standing with the young spawn. Her present was lovely, and I put my keys on it straightaway. </p><p>-CD: She’ll be thrilled! Did you have a particular day in mind? She’s going straight to Dan’s from school on Friday.</p><p>-LM: Then perhaps tomorrow? If she’d like to go out for chocolate or ice cream of some sort, I’ll need an assistant if I’m to protect my clothing from her sticky fingers. </p><p>-CD: I could probably help with that, as long as I get a cone! Do we have a deal then?</p><p>-LM: How dare you steal my line! But yes, I’ll agree to your terms. Just tell me where and when you’d like me to meet you.</p><p>-CD: I can see your face right now! I’ll text you later with details. </p><p>I put my phone down with a happy sigh. Even though neither of us brought up anything personal, it meant so much that he reached out because he didn’t want to hurt Trixie. I’d put on a cool exterior tomorrow, but in my heart, Lucifer was already forgiven.</p><p>That night, for the first time in a very long while, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.</p><p> </p><p>———————————</p><p>Meanwhile, over at the Penthouse, Eve was busy sucking an olive out of a beautiful blonde girl’s bellybutton when she was suddenly jolted to attention by a full body shiver. Stumbling back, she looked around the room, but no one else seemed to be affected. Nervously, she scanned the room for Lucifer, but he was busy doing tequila shots with a trio of very drunk looking sailors. They showed up at Lux earlier in the night, and word spread quickly that they were in LA on shore leave. He invited them up for the after party, so they got comfortably sozzled downstairs. Now, he was basking in their undivided attention.</p><p>With Lucifer’s distraction ensured, Eve crept back to the kitchen area, where she could be heard over the music pumping through the speakers. She scrolled through her contacts and found the number she needed.</p><p>The phone rang three times, then she heard the line pick up, and a low, harsh voice hissed, “Secret Code, please!”</p><p>“I am the Sinnerman’s mother, and I need help getting rid of some sensitive material,” she answered firmly. The voice chuckled.</p><p>“Very good, ma’am. I will inform my superior, and the matter will be dealt with once you hear from him,” he said, then line went dead.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Pasta, Prayers and Promises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hey, folks! Exciting news about Season 5 (and 6), huh? To fill the 2 month gap, I really have to get going with this story, so here’s where we are: Chloe decides on a confidante for her troubles, and Lucifer almost destroys more crystal bar ware in an argument with Amenadiel. </p><p>BTW: chapter title courtesy of inspiration from John Denver. Random,  I know! </p><p>This chapter is a bit filler-y, but the exposition is necessary for a slam-bam chapter 9! Enjoy 😊</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p>I awoke the next morning well rested and full of positive energy. The weather forecast promised a beautiful day, and I was finally ready to start righting the wrongs I’d been responsible for over the past several weeks.</p><p>First on the list, it was high time I had a confidante who wasn’t Lucifer’s brother, therapist, or demon (not that I knew where she was, thanks to her booming nationwide bounty hunts).</p><p>Ella was long overdue to be in on the celestial secret, and I hoped she wouldn’t run away screaming. She was one of the best and most loyal friends I had, and I’d kept her at arm’s length too often because of a misguided need for independence. Besides, she was clearly on her own downward spiral, and hopefully we could help each other get through it all.</p><p>I had it set up perfectly: I knew it was her day off and I requested an emergency personal day so we wouldn’t be interrupted. I booked a table at a restaurant she’d been yammering on about for weeks. I even put Linda and Amenadiel on standby when or if Ella needed immediate celestial confirmation or counseling.</p><p>I was standing outside the cool-but-cozy little restaurant when she arrived, enveloping me in a huge hug. Uncharacteristically, I held on a bit longer than usual, since it felt like ages since I’d been hugged by anyone other than Trixie. She grinned, patting my arm.</p><p>“Chloe, ohmigod this place is so amazing! How did you remember that it’s on my list?” Ella squealed as we went inside, looking around in wonder. I just shrugged my shoulders and gave her a warm smile, giving no hint of the maelstrom swirling in my head. I was literally praying that she wouldn’t hate me once I told her the truth.</p><p>After we were seated, Ella perused the wine options. “Decker, would you be up for sharing a bottle of red? I heard THE BEST stuff about their pasta! Ooookkay....I’m gonna get the Spicy Fusilli and a salad. What do you think about this bottle of Pinot Noir?” Ella decided, nearly shoving the wine list in my face due to my lack of attention. </p><p>“Oh God, I’m sorry, Ella. Just a got a little distracted,” I apologized, okaying her wine choice and signaling for our waiter. I ended up ordering spaghetti and meatballs, and when we got our wine, we toasted our friendship. </p><p>“Ella, I want you to know how much having you as a friend has meant to me over the past few years. You’ve had my back at work, and you’re practically the sister I never had, which is why I’m nervous about telling you about something...important,” I began, taking a generous mouthful of wine before continuing.</p><p>Ella looked at me with eyes as wide as saucers. “Chloe, are you telling me that the new LT is gonna fire me? I mean, I know that I got really emotional about Charlotte, then Pierce; there were a few things that I badly while you were away, but...” she starting to babble, as she cast her eyes down at her napkin, trying to remember her infractions at the department. I grabbed her hand and smiled, trying to reassure her.</p><p>“No, it’s nothing like that! What I want to tell you does have to do with work, but it’s not about your job performance. Besides, I can’t even imagine anyone doing your job as amazingly as you,” I gushed, and a look of relief spread across her face as she reached for the roll basket. </p><p>“Well, damn Decker! You sure know how to make me sweat!” Ella admitted with a grin, tearing off a chunk of bread to dip into olive oil. I looked her square in the eyes and took a deep breath.</p><p>“Ok, so you know how Lucifer sometimes does things you can’t explain, stuff he shouldn’t be able to do— the really out there stuff?” I began, feeling her out. She rolled her eyes, nodding knowingly.</p><p>“Oh yeah, like when you said he pushed a guy through a massive glass wall, or when Dan said Lucifer and Amenadiel, like, disappeared from a room once? I always thought that maybe they came from a family of really talented magicians, or that Dan was blinded by some light or an optical illusion or something,” Ella recalled, shrugging her shoulders. I laughed nervously. </p><p>Just as I geared up to drop my truth bomb, our waiter chose that same moment to show up with the food. Ella dug into it with gusto, and after a few minutes of quiet eating, I tried again.</p><p>“Hey, remember when you confided in me about talking to and seeing ghosts?” I whispered, trying to make eye contact with her as she continued to eat, stabbing her fork into the curly pasta only slightly more neatly than Trixie would have done. She did pause to give me an incredulous look, since we’d talked about “Rae-Rae” multiple times since then.</p><p>“Chloe, you know there’s only one ghost! Anyway, you have to give me the scoop on this ice cream thingy you’re doing later on today...” Ella diverted, giving me an unexpected way to segue into the whole angel discussion. Nevertheless, I felt flustered by the idea of talking about this second chance I had with Lucifer. What if I jinxed it?</p><p>“I’m looking forward to it— I think it’ll make Trixie feel a lot better, and it’s a good way for all of us to reconnect,” I said hesitantly, trying to hide my anxiety. That’s when I finally remembered my pasta, twirling some around my fork. It was unbelievably good.</p><p>“Reconnect, huh? That’s definitely one way to put it!” Ella teased with a wink, pausing to finish off her glass and take some more wine. I drummed my fingers on the table, deciding to try a different tack.</p><p>“Ella, I know you’ve been struggling a lot with faith- um, issues lately. I didn’t grow up with any religion, but do you believe in celestial justice, like Heaven and Hell?” I asked her, clutching the napkin in my lap in anticipation.</p><p>Ella dropped her fork in surprise, and it landed on the table with a loud clatter. She paused to clear her throat, unconsciously bringing her fingers up to touch the cross she no longer wore around her neck.</p><p>“Well, when I believed in that stuff hardcore, I really thought I was doing my part to uphold right and wrong on Earth, and that it was our job to keep people safe. But ever since I fell out with The Big Guy, all I know is that without my compass of faith and belief, I’ve felt really messed up,” she finished, swirling her wine around in the glass with a heavy sigh.</p><p>“Oh Ella, I should’ve done a better job as a friend,” I told her, regret filling my heart. “But I can promise to be here for you now. And, I might just know how to get some of the answers you’re looking for,” I told her, knowing she’d need the divine proof only Amenadiel could provide.</p><p>As she looked at me with a million questions on her face, I took out my phone and sent him a text, asking when we could come over. I felt much lighter already, excited about helping Ella regain her spiritual bearings. Maybe I’d pick up some wisdom on how to solve my celestial problems, too.</p><p>“Chloe, who are we going to see? If it’s an astrologist, you need to know that I don’t do palm readings and star charts like my auntie Rosa. She’s just a real mess,” Ella told me nervously, looking for reassurance. </p><p>“No, nothing like that, I promise! No occult stuff, no crystals. Please, just trust me,” I replied, and that’s all I had to say. She gave me a grateful look, but seemed at a loss for words. I needed to give her a distraction.</p><p>“Now, let's put a pin in this subject, and talk about something really important: what are we gonna share for dessert?” I asked with a grin, coaxing a smile back onto her face. I could tell she was ready to lighten things back up. </p><p>“You’re really speaking my language now, lady! The cannoli here are supposed to be outta this world...” </p><p>————————————</p><p> </p><p>Earlier that day, after tucking Eve into a chauffeured car armed with an Amex Black Card and a personal shopper, Lucifer was finally able to exist in blessed silence. </p><p>Walking through his awfully messy apartment—drug paraphernalia, lingerie and sex toys were strewn everywhere—Lucifer stopped to look at his piano. It hadn’t been played in days, just used as an extra surface to place ashtrays and wine glasses for the never-ending party. In the peaceful quiet, it shone like a beacon.</p><p>When he sat down and lifted up the fall board, the morning light hit the keys, causing them to sparkle. He smiled, closed his eyes, and started to play. Randomly, his brain set on J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, a set of 30 complicated pieces written during one of his many visits to Western Europe over the 18th century. </p><p>Of all the composers he’d met, influenced or made deals with, Bach was one of his favorites. He had a lovely, boisterous family full of musicians, and they’d taught him how to play the harpsichord. In return, Lucifer provided the inspiration his new friend Johann needed to write the very same composition he’d chosen to play now.</p><p>About halfway through the piece, having fully immersed himself in the wonderful flow of music, of course there had to be an interruption. The elevator bell dinged and in stalked Amenadiel, looking vexed as usual.</p><p>“Hello brother. I’d ask how you are, but you just look constipated to me,” he deadpanned, determined to finish the section he was playing. He hated to stop in the middle of a piece, feeling like it was disrespectful to the composer.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me Eve was here, Luci?” Amenadiel asked, stalking over to one of the leather chairs and sitting with a huff. Feeling disgruntled and knowing there was no way to get out of this conversation, Lucifer closed the piano and strolled over to the bar for some whisky.</p><p>“Oh please, I’m not going to text you every time someone stays to the night,” he scoffed in reply, holding an empty tumbler aloft to see if his brother wanted a nip. Oddly for the time of day, Amenadiel nodded. </p><p>“This isn’t some fling, Lucifer. It’s Eve!” he said emphatically, accepting the drink. Watching his brother prepare some cutting remark, Amenadiel softened his tone. “Have you thought at all about the dangers of having Eve back on Earth? Who might be at risk?”</p><p>“If you’re worried about what happened last time, don’t be. I’m not going to corrupt her,” he said, tossing the rest of his drink back and pouring another immediately. “Don't know how I could, really. She’s up for anything these days,” he muttered, deciding to bring the entire decanter with him to sit down in a nearby chair.</p><p>Amenadiel placed his glass on the side table and stood, facing Lucifer with arms crossed. His facial expression turned accusatory.</p><p>“It’s not Eve that I’m worried about, Lucifer. It’s you. She came here for the old you, the one she remembers from the garden. The one who sowed chaos and destruction for his own amusement!”</p><p>“Are you finished with your little lecture? Because frankly, you’re making me nostalgic,” Lucifer said sarcastically and not without a devilish glint in his eye. He sat up straighter in the chair, crossing his legs and pouring himself yet another drink from the decanter. </p><p>Amenadiel glanced heavenward and sighed, full of earnest concern. “You see, Luci, that’s what I’m talking about! I don’t want her to turn you back into the Devil that you were— not after you’ve come so far,” he said, implying that Lucifer experienced the same sort of emotional growth that Chloe had talked about. It still annoyed him, making him doubt his choices and stymieing his free will.</p><p>As ready as he was to start a good old fashioned tiff, Lucifer just sighed to himself, looking up at his brother as he deflated back against the seat cushion. </p><p>“To be honest, I don’t even know if I want to be with her or not. It all happened so quickly, and now I have a bloody roommate! Perhaps it’ll feel somewhat normal to see the Detective and her urchin later on,” he told Amenadiel, who brightened considerably when Chloe was mentioned.</p><p>“Lucifer, that’s great! Seeing them will be a good thing— exactly what you need,” he said encouragingly. Much like the Detective would, Lucifer just rolled his eyes at his brother’s insipid cheerfulness. He was in no mood to be told he was “doing the right thing,” or how humans were just the best of God’s creations since sliced bread. </p><p>“Amenadiel, as truly sorry as I am to see you go, I really must insist. I’m the bloody Devil, and the look requires an awful lot of prep. You see, no one would believe I’m the poster boy for decadence and sin if I showed up to Lux dressed like, well, you!” he said coldly, narrowing his eyes and motioning toward the elevator. Amenadiel pressed the call button, miming a gesture of surrender.</p><p>“I believe in you, Lucifer, even when you can’t—I always will. Send my love to Chloe and Trixie!” he called out as he passed through the elevator doors. </p><p>As much as he wanted to, Lucifer couldn’t bring himself to throw his glass straight at where his brother just stood. He didn’t need any more messes in his life to clean up right now. Instead, he drank two more bottles, just for the hell of it.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Ascents and Descents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Happy Thursday! This chapter is packed with action: angel wings, sex ‘n drugs— and decisions are made...</p>
<p>Please let me know what you’re thinking in the comments. Do you like the changes to the story? xoxo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe</p>
<p>When Ella’s eyes finally opened, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Linda brought a cool compress for Ella’s forehead, while Amenadiel and I collected pillows to elevate her legs. </p>
<p>“Guys, what just happened? I’ve never fainted before,” she croaked out, looking confused. I crouched down next to her, so she didn’t have to move her head too much.</p>
<p>“You’re gonna be ok, Ella. They say it’s a pretty common side effect of seeing angel wings for the first time. I almost fainted myself!” I told her with a smile. </p>
<p>“Angel wings...That’s right, Amenadiel is an actual honest to God angel, and Lucifer isn’t a method actor— who knew the Devil was telling the truth the whole time?” she marveled weakly, and I gestured for Amenadiel to join me on the floor. </p>
<p>When he sat down cross-legged next to me, Ella just stared at him wordlessly, so he spoke to her in his calming, peaceful way. </p>
<p>“It can be quite a shock to find out that we angels are real, especially for someone whose faith has been tested like yours, Ella,” he told her. She nodded, eyes wide. “But I want you to know that He created all humans with the free will to decide whether or not to believe. You’re an extraordinary person, and you have good friends who care about you. Everything will be fine.”</p>
<p>I felt a little tug in my heart at Amenadiel’s mention of free will. What would Lucifer think of this conversation? Happily, I‘d be able tell him about it myself in just a few hours, I realized with a thrill. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Ella was now sitting up on the couch, drinking a glass of water and talking to Linda about Lucifer. Obviously, this was a huge revelation, and I had no doubt that our resident celestial psychiatrist could help her make sense of it all. </p>
<p>“And how are you doing, Chloe? I heard that you’re going to be seeing my brother today,” Amenadiel said as I turned to face him. We got up and headed to the kitchen to give Ella and Linda some privacy.</p>
<p>“I’m doing alright, given the craziness going on all around us!” I quipped, and we shared a laugh. “Yes, Trixie’s been missing him a lot, and we’re both looking forward to it,” I told him, nodding with as neutral a voice I could muster. </p>
<p>He smiled, but his raised eyebrows showed that he knew there was more to be said. He waited patiently.</p>
<p>“Ok, I do have a question for you, since I’m out of my depth in this new world of celestials and immortals: is Eve ok? I mean, is Eve secretly evil, or some supernatural threat to the world?” I asked, relieved to finally put those questions out there. </p>
<p>“Not that I know of, no,” he replied, but his uneasy expression told me he had doubts of his own. “But I’ve never seen a human soul escape from Heaven. It’s possible that being the first woman gives her extra abilities, but as far as I’m aware, Eve came here for excitement and Lucifer. I’m sorry I don’t know more, Chloe,” Amenadiel told me with a sigh.</p>
<p>“Oh, no, that’s ok— I’m sure everything will be fine. Eve seems very nice, and in the short time I’ve spent with her she really seems to care about Lucifer. Maybe she’s exactly what he needs in his life right now,” I assured him, mortified that my eyes were filling up with tears. I brushed them away quickly, and crossed my arms in front of me.</p>
<p>He made eye contact with me, and it felt like Amenadiel’s warm brown eyes were staring straight into my soul. “After all that you’ve been through Chloe, what you’re worried about most is what’s best for those you care about most— no wonder your dad is so proud of you,” he said with a smile, and I just about did a double take.</p>
<p>“Amenadiel, that’s so sweet, but you know he’s—ohhhh, right...” I said, suddenly realizing that of course he’d know that my dad was in Heaven. I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, and Amenadiel opened his arms. This time, I accepted the affection, feeling grateful that he told me something so wonderful.</p>
<p>“Hey, guys! I’m all back to normal, sorry for scaring you like that,” Ella announced brightly, followed over by Linda. I stepped out of the hug, pasting a big smile on my face for them all.</p>
<p>“Ella, I can’t believe you’re handling all of this so well! You know, finding out about Lucifer is what ‘inspired’ my trip to Europe,” I told her, shaking my head in wonder.</p>
<p>“Yeah, Linda filled me in on all the deets I missed while you were all keeping this massive secret from me!” she said with a grim expression, eyebrows raised. </p>
<p>“No, no Ella, I didn’t want-“ I began, but her whole face broke into a huge grin.</p>
<p>“Oh God- I’m sorry, It’s just so hard for me to keep a straight face! I told you from the beginning that I’ve always thought the Devil got a bad rap. Lucifer’s been telling us who he is the whole time,” Ella said, throwing her arms out to her sides as a gesture for how long we’d spent in denial. I nodded, urging her to continue. </p>
<p>“I’m gonna need to let this sink in for a little while, but he’s still my buddy. We all know Lucifer, and he’s a good guy, even if he can’t fully admit it to himself,” she said, her glee fading into genuine, honest feelings.</p>
<p>I was completely bowled over. Was her faith the reason she could be so strong, or was it her personal character? </p>
<p>“How do you do it? I’ve had such a hard time coming to terms with every part of this. Do you think it’s because I’ve been a lifelong atheist, or because I’m not strong enough?” I asked my friends, brand new tears stinging my eyes. Linda focused her laser gaze on me.</p>
<p>“Chloe, you have a closer relationship with Lucifer than any of us. Your reaction was bound to be complicated, and you’ve got to give yourself space to process your feelings for as long as you need to. Without revealing too much, I can tell you that he’s going through a similar ordeal. But we’re all here for you— for both of you. No one is choosing sides, I can promise you that,” she said, and they enveloped me in a group hug.</p>
<p>I was going to be ok. I had a supportive “tribe” who’d always give me sanctuary, and I would do the same for them. I just had to keep faith that Lucifer and I would be able to find a new normal, even if we just remainEd partners and friends. It would be enough.</p>
<p>————————————</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eve imagined that she was floating through the air on a bed of fluffy white clouds. Shimmering pools of light danced through her vision, and the world around her seemed suspended in slow motion as she writhed around on the silky bed. Below her, a woman with a magical pierced tongue and a vibrating egg was lapping at her entrance like she was an oasis in the desert; above her, a beautiful young man held a pipe filled with some drug Lucifer had called “Dimitri” and he’d lower it to her lips for a drag whenever she asked. </p>
<p>At times, the young man was stolen away to play with her Devil, and she enjoyed watching two male bodies coming together, Lucifer always stage managing the action to please her; twice today, they’d taken turns filling her up simultaneously as well.</p>
<p>Eve had never experienced stimulation like it before— it was like her body was constantly on the precipice of the greatest orgasm of her life, only to be swept down into a flurry of pulsing and quivering muscles, of sweat and heat and fullness. Then, like magic, the ride would reset, with different people in different positions. Eve fully trusted Lucifer with her body, so she willingly gave herself over. </p>
<p>She existed in a bubble of carnal delight like so many unrepentant sinners throughout time, and she never wanted it to end. Deeper, faster, tighter harder—it almost didn’t matter who was touching her, as long as there was always more, more, more....</p>
<p>All of the sudden, loud voices roused her from the delightful haze, and her eyes fluttered open. Only a few feet away, she could make out two blurred people: one had Lucifer’s voice, but the other was a stranger.</p>
<p>“Maze, where the bloody hell have you been? Did you have multiple bounties spread across the country, or were you concocting yet another betrayal?” Lucifer snarled at the stranger.</p>
<p>“Oh please, you really want to start? You haven’t had a decent orgy in years, and I leave for a hot minute and you ‘50 Shades of Betray’ me!!” a female voice replied, sounding even angrier. Obviously this woman was not scared of Lucifer at all, which intrigued Eve.</p>
<p>“Well, you know you’re always welcome, Mazie,” he said, voice changing to a silky smoothness. “In fact, the very woman who inspired me to crank the orgy machine back to life is right in my bedroom, along with two other friends. Perhaps you’d like to take my place in our foursome?” </p>
<p>The woman known as Maze hopped up the steps to the bedroom, where three bodies lay in different states of consciousness. Eve caught her eye and smiled invitingly. </p>
<p>“And who is this pretty young thing?” Maze asked Lucifer, as Eve heard the sounds of shoes being toed on and the rustling of fabric that must be a jacket. He leaned over and kissed Eve, running his fingers through her hair and down to her lips. He smelled delicious, all freshly showered.</p>
<p>“This is Eve, delivered to us from Heaven, quite literally,” he told Maze with a small laugh. Immediately interested, the new woman looked her up and down, clearly pleased with what she saw. Eve smirked.</p>
<p>“Well, Eve, what do you think of the place? Don’t you just love being down here with all these sinners?” Maze asked softly, bending down to stroke her cheek. </p>
<p>“That’s what I came for,” she replied saucily, the drug’s effects wearing away so she could sit up. As her head cleared more, Eve suddenly felt an intense thirst. “Luce! I need water, please!” she cried, causing worry to streak across his face. He returned a moment later and she drank greedily, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when she was sated, eyes wild. </p>
<p>“Ah, one of the prices to pay for such a good high,” he sighed once her breathing returned to normal, giving Maze a conspiratorial look. “Well, I must fly, but Mazikeen has offered to stay here with you whilst I go out for a, erm, meeting. I’ll be back in just a few hours,” Lucifer told her, motioning to the leather clad woman beside him. </p>
<p>“Hey, I thought you were finally getting together with Decker and Trix— that’s the whole reason I came over,” Maze hissed at him, eyes flashing. Lucifer put his hand up to silence her, gaze returning to Eve.</p>
<p>“She’s quite trustworthy for a demon, and well-versed in guiding you through whatever other pleasures you’d like to...sample,” he told her with a wide, devilish grin. </p>
<p>“Well, I wasn’t planning to try anything new without you here, but maybe Maze and I can talk through some options?” Eve replied sweetly, giving Maze her best come-hither look. </p>
<p>“Lovely,” he cooed, giving her a final peck on the lips before disappearing into the elevator. Eve rose slowly from the bed, telling Maze that she wanted to freshen up. </p>
<p>In the bathroom, Eve splashed handfuls of cold water on her face, trying hard to remember why the names Maze mentioned sounded familiar. She’d probably have to wait until morning for her brain to function properly, so why not see what kind of fun Maze had in mind until Lucifer got back?</p>
<p>Those “Sinnerman” people hadn’t returned her call yet, but the more time she spent with Lucifer, the more confident she was that he was falling in love; one day, she might even be the Devil’s Queen! Perhaps she ought to tell them their services were no longer required? After all, that brazen police detective had broken both her son and her Devil’s hearts. She’d make it down to her own cell in Hell’s deepest dungeons eventually, and maybe Eve would be there to torture her personally.</p>
<p>———————————</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucifer had a lot on his mind as he sped his corvette towards the neighborhood ice cream shop that Trixie had chosen. The drive- one so familiar he could do it blindfolded- was pleasant and not too traffic heavy, but it didn’t give him as much time as he would’ve liked to prepare what he wanted to say. </p>
<p>Of course, he could always avoid the problem directly and talk mostly to the spawn, as she always had an overabundance of stories about her urchin school and her sticky little friends. But there was no real reason to avoid friendly chatter with the Detective. Yes, she’d hurt him deeply, but he thought of himself as a forgiving sort of Devil— after all, he’d been the one to open the lines of communication via text, and she agreed to this detente. </p>
<p>They would have a nice time all together as a remembrance of things past, then he’d go home to Lux and his high octane nightlife with Eve; whereas Chloe would take the child home for a movie or a game of Monopoly, cook them dinner, and probably fall asleep on the couch in the middle of a ‘Real Housewives’ marathon. </p>
<p>He definitely knew where he belonged, and it was better this way for everyone.</p>
<p>Who was he kidding? He missed them so much that thinking about it for too long gave him an ache in his gut. Both his gut and his heart had already forgiven her, and he knew that their partnership was the one relationship he would always treasure in a sea of meaningless encounters. He’d basically admitted as much to Amenadiel just the other day. </p>
<p>The destination was now only 5 miles away. Should he suggest that they resume working together? He couldn’t waste his time on Earth lost in a cloud of hallucinogens and writhing bodies, because the humans had to be properly punished for their wrongdoings! </p>
<p>He also owed it to the city he called home— Los Angeles gave so much to him that it would be a crime itself to deprive the police of his value as a consultant. He and Chloe had the highest solve rate in Homicide because of the potent mixture of his devilish abilities and her skillful bravery. What if they stuck her with some witless oaf who wasn’t up to the task? </p>
<p>By the time he pulled up to the street corner to park, he’d made up his mind. Trixie greeted him loudly from the sidewalk, and as he took his keys out of the ignition, he felt his heart beating faster in anticipation. “Think fast, urchin!” he called out, tossing the keys in her direction. She caught them with a giggle, admiring his keychain proudly.</p>
<p>“It looks really good, Lucifer! Come on, mom’s inside already. She can never decide what flavor to get,” the child told him with an eye roll, hoisting the keychain she’d given him aloft as she squeezed his side in a sort of half hug. Almost involuntarily he squeezed back lightly, and was rewarded with a grin that lit up her whole face. He couldn’t help but chuckle down at her, a little sprite full of mischief and good humor. </p>
<p>That was nothing compared to the smile he got from Chloe once they walked into the shop, still mid-squeeze. She was beautiful, from the loose braid down her back to the cute little sleeveless blouse she wore over her favorite pair of jeans. Damn, the gut ache was back, but it wasn’t painful— it was more of a pulling, or yearning. </p>
<p>Lucifer wasn’t stupid- he knew he was being pulled in two directions. One clearly led to Chloe, and over the past few years it seemed like this path called to him time and time again like a homing beacon. The other path took him back to Hollywood, to his old life of sinful, easy pleasure. </p>
<p>He nodded to her in greeting, and she signaled for them to join her at the counter. The wall behind the register showed their selection of flavors: not a huge list, but varied enough for any person’s satisfaction. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint chip, fudge ripple, praline, pistachio, oreo cookie crunch and coffee chocolate chip. </p>
<p>Which flavor to choose, indeed?</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. All (Mostly) About Trixie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is pretty fluffy and happy, I will not lie! But it sets up some good stuff for our Deckerstar duo...</p><p>Enjoy, and to my fellow Yanks: Have a happy and safe 4th of July! xoxo</p><p> 💕🌈🎆🎉🇺🇸</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p>Within the wide realm of kid activities, I was pretty confident that Lucifer and Trixie could handle choosing and ordering ice cream without me. Well, semi confident— at least I could see them on the waiting line, looking happy and deep in conversation. </p><p>So I found us seats, and spent 15 blissful minutes alone, answering emails and organizing my to-do lists. There was also a long string of texts from Ella, asking for updates. I sent her a thumbs-up emoji and chucked the phone into my purse with a smile. </p><p>When Trixie came back to the table, my smile turned into a jaw drop: somehow, she created the craziest ice cream sundae I’d ever seen— and there was no doubt the Devil at her shoulder had contributed some ideas!</p><p>Three enormous scoops were stuffed inside a waffle bowl: Chocolate, Strawberry, and something called Cookie Monster (white chocolate with blue food coloring). On top, gummy bears and what looked like Pop Rocks had begun to melt down the ice cream mountain, which itself was covered in marshmallow snow.</p><p>It was every parent’s nightmare, and every dentist’s dream.</p><p>I rested my elbow on the table, smacking my palm against my forehead as my kid smirked, flush with victory. Her accomplice wasn’t far behind: Lucifer followed her to the table with a mountain of napkins in one hand, balancing my small cup of mint chip and what I assumed was a milkshake in the other.</p><p>“Well that was an adventure, eh spawn?” he said with a shit-eating grin of his own in my direction. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he didn’t care a bit.</p><p>Trixie nodded enthusiastically, her mouth already covered in glop. I just shook my head in disbelief, picking a couple of gummy bears off for myself. Then I dared to reach for my own ice cream and a portion of the napkins he’d brought. </p><p>“No no no, Detective! These are to protect my Burberry from THAT!” he cried in dismay, pointing to Trixie’s dessert while clutching the napkins to his chest.</p><p>I looked at Trixie, and we both dissolved into laughter, while Lucifer stuck a straw into his milkshake with a sulky expression. </p><p>“What have you got over there, Willy Wonka?” I teased, pointing to his cup as I grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser at our table.</p><p>“How dare you compare me in any way to that horribly dressed, candy-loving creep! He owned an incredibly successful factory, and we’re supposed to believe he just handed it to a strange child and an old man? Completely ridiculous film,” he scoffed, looking and sounding like an upset bird. Flustered Lucifer was always, to me at least, the silliest of his many moods, so it was really hard to hide my laugh behind a napkin.</p><p>Trixie stared at him, completely baffled. She’d seen the movie at a sleepover party recently and loved it. Her look must’ve affected him, because he turned to her and said, “Of course I don’t think of YOU as a strange child, Beatrice,” patting her on the head like a dog. She just looked up at him and smiled. </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re back, Lucifer,” Trixie told him fondly, before diving back into her ice cream. Satisfied that she accepted his apology, Lucifer turned his attention to me.</p><p>“Now as I was about to explain; this, dear Detective, is a much more palatable creation: vanilla milkshake flavored with whisky from my own personal stock,” he held up his cup with a sly grin, patting the flask in his jacket pocket. “You simply must try it.”</p><p>I scrunched up my nose with indecision, but it sounded so good that I reached quickly, grabbing it from his hand. Of course, he was right; the combination was sinful, and I closed my eyes with a little sigh of delight before handing the cup back. I looked down at my sad little ice cream scoop with disappointment, and Lucifer caught my expression.</p><p>“Perhaps, next time you can get a shake version of that toothpaste-colored stuff, and I’ll bring along some Peppermint Schnapps? Should work a treat,” he suggested, giving me the kind of soft, affectionate smile I’d taken for granted for all the years we worked together. I smiled back, but the moment was quickly interrupted by a sugar-high voice to my left.</p><p>“Me next!” Trixie chirped, holding out a greedy little hand. I shook my head, mouthing “NO WAY” and laughed a little when I saw a gummy bear stuck to her forehead. </p><p>“Sorry Monkey, but that’s a grownups only milkshake. You wouldn’t like the taste anyway,” I told her, and she sighed dramatically, looking over to her partner in crime for a second opinion.</p><p>“I’m with your mother on this one, child, since I’m only just working my way out of the doghouse,” he told her in a loud whisper, as if revealing a very juicy secret. She giggled, taking a big bite of Pop Rocks and opening her mouth up wide so he could hear the crackle sound. </p><p>“So, everyone down at the station says hello; they all miss you a lot,” I told him, and his expression grew so self-satisfied that I had to roll my eyes. </p><p>“My my, I have missed having that eye roll in my daily life” he declared, and it made my heart want to melt. “And while it is always lovely to be missed, I actually have given some thought to returning,” he mused, taking a moment to slurp up the remainder of his drink. </p><p>I was truly surprised and pleased to hear him say the words, but my inner demon longed to tease the big bad Devil.</p><p>“Well, I’ve already interviewed several other people for the civilian consultant role,” I told him with a deadpan expression. “But they’ve all been ridiculously over-qualified! It’s so hard to find someone with absolutely no background in law enforcement,” I continued, biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from breaking character. It was truly fun watching as his face pass from surprise to indignation, and finally to a knowing grin.</p><p>“Really, eh? Time spent in a dreary classroom learning about law and order have absolutely nothing to do with consulting! It’s really about three things,” he told me, drawing quote marks in the air around “law and order.” </p><p>He put his hands down on the table as if issuing a challenge, and they were dangerously close to my own.</p><p>“Mom! I just saw Kerri and Perri come in with their stepdad— can I go say hi?” Trixie piped up loudly, breaking the 200th moment we were about to have.</p><p>I turned my attention to my daughter. “Trix, you can’t finish that; you’re gonna get a stomachache,” I said irritably, seeing that she’d somehow gotten past all of her ice cream and was now munching gleefully on the edible bowl. </p><p>She looked right at me, and all of a sudden I could swear she matured six years in a split second.</p><p>“Mom, I wouldn’t do that. It was just fun to build a crazy ice cream mountain with Lucifer— I didn’t even like the strawberry part,” she said, pointing to a plastic bowl filled with melting pink ice cream and floating gummy bears. Disgusting.</p><p>“Okay, good,” I replied awkwardly, not knowing what else there was to say. Luckily, Trixie had no such problems. </p><p>“You guys are driving me bananas!” she said, with the kind of emphatic frustration you can only get away with as a kid. We both gawked at her in confusion, silenced.</p><p>“Lucifer, do you wanna help my mom solve cases again?” she asked, turning her gaze on him first. When his eyebrows shot up two inches in surprise, she just rolled her eyes again. He nodded, looking chastened.</p><p>“And Mom, you want his help, right? He’s good at it, plus you wouldn’t have to go on stakeouts with Dad anymore,” she reasoned, not without a pixie grin. </p><p>“You do make a good argument, babe. Now why don’t you go catch up with your friends?” I told her, giving her a peck on the cheek and dabbing some chocolate ice cream from her chin with my napkin. She ran over to the other side of the store, pointing to us and whispering with her friends.</p><p>“Has her school been teaching conflict resolution? She really is quite good,” he mused, shifting back casually in his seat. </p><p>“Haha,” I quipped dryly, but I knew Trixie would be back any minute and I wanted to take this chance to ask him to be partners again. “Ok, seriously— I think it’d be really great to have my partner back, so I hope you’ll think about it,” I said, leaning forward to cross my forearms on the table. </p><p>Lucifer’s face lit up with a slow, easy smile. He didn’t say anything for several moments, just letting my offer sit out in the air, unanswered. I felt completely exposed, like in that nightmare where you go into work with no clothes on. I cringed inwardly.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry! Were you expecting an answer, right this minute?” he asked, and I realized he was enjoying himself. He was stringing me along, just for the hell of it! I felt my hackles go up, setting my mouth in a scowl and breathing angrily through my nostrils. </p><p>“Look, if all of this is just some silly game to you-“ I began, knowing my voice could easily go up several notches in tone. He seemed to know that too, so he reached out and grabbed my clenched fists in his hands. I instantly felt calmer, and my whole body relaxed. How did he do that?</p><p>“Detective- Chloe, I’m sorry. Just a bit of fun gone sideways. I’d be honored to work by your side again, really,” he said softly, looking right into my eyes. </p><p>“Thank you, Lucifer. That means a lot,” I replied, my heart still pounding in my ears from the adrenaline rush. We just sat there, hands still clasped together, until my phone rang noisily. Trixie came back over while I was rifling through my purse, and I heard him tell her the good news. </p><p>“Yes yes yes!” she shrieked, fist pumping in the air. </p><p>“Why on Earth are you so excited now, you hellion?” Lucifer asked her, standing up to gather the cups and bowls to chuck into the trash. </p><p>“Hey, looks like we’ve got our first case, partner! That means you’re off to dad’s house a little early Trix,” I told them, holding my phone up in the air. They both sighed in disappointment at having to go, but as we left to get back to the cars, the two conspirators were talking and walking ahead of me, thick as thieves.</p><p>“Wait, Maze promised you what?” Lucifer asked incredulously, stopping short ahead of me so that I almost barreled into him. </p><p>“She said that you guys both wanted to work together again, but couldn’t say it. So she told me that if I could help, she’d get me my first pair of throwing stars!” </p><p>The moment called for another facepalm, so that’s what I did while Trixie danced up the street with joy, Lucifer following her with alternate offers, like learning to drive his car, or how to mix the perfect martini. Again. What was I getting myself back into?</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Room for Everyone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hello hello! Apologies for taking long with this update, but my muse doesn’t like it when the air conditioning busts!</p><p>I suppose this could summarize almost any chapter, but Lucifer and Chloe have feelings, grapple with feelings, and prepare to catch that S.O.B. Julian! </p><p>Chapter 12 is almost done, so I’ll see you soon. Thanks for reading and commenting, as always xx  </p><p>ETA: A big thank you to Ana_ana for seeing a big formatting mistake! 😘</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lucifer pulled his car into the valet area outside Lux a few hours later, he was in a splendid mood. The long waiting line nearby thrummed with energy, the night breeze was perfect, and he felt a deep contentment from the past few hours he’d spent with Chloe. Dessert and a renewed partnership, plus justice for murderous thugs—what could be better?</p><p>He was feeling generous in his newfound sense of purpose, and was the maxim not “charity begins at home”? He wanted to entertain these lovely club goers, who willingly chose to pay outlandish prices for his premium liquor and the chance to mingle with LA’s finest on his dance floor. It was Friday night, and they deserved a little special attention.</p><p>Lucifer strode into his club, shaking hands and exchanging hellos with several people with whom he’d done and received favors for many years. A deal for you, a favor for me. That was a legacy to be proud of, he thought to himself, signaling for his piano to be put in its customary place. One of the bartenders handed him a tumbler of whisky, and with great fanfare, he sat down at his beloved baby grand. </p><p>He played for over an hour, and held them in thrall with raucous music for every preference: a little Elvis (Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog), a few songs from Elton John (Benny and the Jets, I'm Still Standing, Crocodile Rock), The Rolling Stones (Satisfaction, Let’s Spend the Night Together, and of course, Sympathy for the Devil). To end, he brought the house down with an energetic rendition of Jerry Lee Lewis’ Great Balls of Fire.</p><p>While he was basking in the marvelous natural high of performing, Lucifer caught the eyes of several gorgeous young people in the crowd. Feeding off of their need for even more “entertainment,” he decided to invite them all up to the Penthouse to continue the fun. He’d texted Maze before he started playing, knowing it would probably be a long and happy night for all.</p><p>“Come along, there’s room for everyone upstairs!” he called out, and they followed him toward the elevator. Maze and Eve were waiting, having turned the penthouse into an adult playground, complete with the demon’s collection of sex swings and some of her milder restraints. They were both outfitted head to toe in leather, Maze all in black and Eve in a black miniskirt and red bustier with lips to match. </p><p>“Welcome home, darling.” Eve said with a sexy grin, strutting over to him with a bottle of his favorite whisky in hand. </p><p>“Well, thank you very much for the warm welcome.” he replied huskily, taking the bottle and draining it in only a few glugs. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took her in his arms for a proper kiss, and she giggled in anticipation. She tasted of alcohol and chocolate, probably Maze’s prized pot brownies.</p><p>Out of nowhere, a bolt of panic coursed through his system, causing Lucifer to break away from Eve so quickly that she almost lost her balance. He grabbed her waist to steady her, but his hands slid down the shiny top, cold and clammy. </p><p>“Lucifer, are you ok?” Eve asked with alarm, her voice sounding a million miles away. </p><p>“Darling, don’t worry. I’ll be back in just a moment!” he managed to say as calmly as possible, before staggering away towards his bathroom. He hadn’t lied, but Lucifer had no idea what was happening, since the strange adrenaline surge hadn’t stopped and his shirt felt soaked through.</p><p>Had it been so long that maybe he wasn’t ready to have so many people come to their first real sex party? The Devil wasn’t supposed to cower away from a good bacchanal, he thought as he locked himself in, grateful that no one has invaded this space at least. Maybe he just needed a few minutes to transfer from the party downstairs to the more intimate one up here? None of it made any sense, but then the room started spinning.</p><p>Lucifer was able to steady himself as he set his hands on the marble countertop. He stared in shock at his reflection: he was pale as a ghost, trails of flop sweat still running down his face and back. Did he get poisoned? Was he suffering from some kind of angelic sickness?</p><p>“Lucifer, tell me if you’re ok, or I’m gonna assume you’re being attacked and break down the damn door!” Maze’s distinctive shout thundered over the music and chatter. No, this was definitely not a situation for which one needed a demon’s skill set. </p><p>“I’ll be fine Mazikeen— you and Eve keep the party going, but don’t let anyone in here.” Lucifer rasped, realizing he’d been holding his breath way too long. Only when he let that go did the surge feeling finally begin to ebb. </p><p>If focused breathing helped ease his physical or mental discomfort, Linda said many times over the years, it could mean he was suffering from a panic attack. What else had she suggested would help? He remembered something about being still and visualizing calming things or places.</p><p>Sinking gracelessly down to the floor, Lucifer lay on his side, trying to breathe deeply as his equilibrium restored. Concentrating on the feeling of the cool tiles against his cheek, he closed his eyes, waiting for a calming image to appear. He tried to think of the beach, with its reliable pounding surf, or the sound of rain pitter-pattering against the glass doors of his balcony.</p><p>There was only one image his mind could conjure up to do the task, and it was her face. Chloe’s face—smiling, laughing, or even sternly telling him off— instantly made him feel better, lighter. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position, reaching for a towel to wipe off his face and neck. Almost instinctively, his other hand went to his pocket to retrieve his phone, but he wondered if calling her was really the right option. It was already 11:45, and he didn’t want to wake her. </p><p>-LM: Detective, are you awake?</p><p>He leaned back against the vanity, staring at a scuff on his shoe as he waited for her to reply. What would he do if she was asleep? He didn’t feel like going back to the party, and he definitely couldn’t keep up with Eve and her demands for constant entertainment. Maze could handle it for him.</p><p>-CD: Yeah, everything ok? </p><p>“Thank goodness” Lucifer muttered to himself, almost embarrassed by the feeling of relief that flooded through him. He should give her a quippy response, lest she worry.</p><p>-LM: Don’t worry so much! It’ll give you wrinkles...</p><p>-CD: You’re the one who texted me!</p><p>He chuckled, thinking about the expression she must have on her face. She was probably in her bed, most likely wearing an oversized t-shirt, but that could be fixed by his imagination... No, say something nice! Something unexpected that she’d like.</p><p>-LM: Oh, alright. Checking in to make sure you got home safely.</p><p>-CD: That was hours ago, Lucifer. Are you sure you’re ok?</p><p>Damnit, this woman really did know him, didn’t she? Lucifer wished he could get in the car and drive over to her house, away from the endless party outside his door...</p><p>-LM: Perfectly fine, now that I know. Have a good night’s sleep, Detective.</p><p>-CD: Ok, well it was nice of you to check. Get some rest yourself, alright? See you soon.</p><p>And just like that, everything felt well again. The Detective made him feel good about himself in a way that nobody else ever could, and he wanted to repay that kindness to her a million times over. </p><p>But what was he supposed to do about Eve? The woman was so devoted, and she accepted him when he needed it most. She didn’t deserve to be abandoned.</p><p>He still didn’t want to go back to the insanity, so he sent a message to Maze asking her to get rid of everyone. Then he’d shower, get dressed for bed, and simply keep his distance from Eve for as long as he could. </p><p>—————————————</p><p> </p><p>Chloe</p><p>I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lucifer when he showed up at our latest crime scene a couple of days later. The case I learned about the Friday we met for ice cream had been an open-and-shut first degree murder charge, so Lucifer disappeared just in time for the paperwork to land.</p><p>Then there was that random text exchange late the same night. Was he asking if I was out, like on a date? Or was he just feeling sorry for me, knowing I was couch surfing in my pajamas? Whatever it was, I’d refused to dissect his Luciferness. That was Eve's territory now anyway.</p><p>Unfortunately, I spent most of the week chained to my desk, especially since I had absolutely nada in the caseload department.</p><p>“Decker, you’re up,” Lieutenant Connors announced one boring morning as he stopped in front of my desk, handing me a case file. Unlike his predecessor, Mark Connors was actually an upstanding guy; he came to us from San Diego, where his tough but fair leadership was universally praised. He didn’t play favorites, he was on top of his work, and amazingly, he’d hired two more female detectives in his first six weeks. </p><p>“Fair warning, this one's pretty nasty. Poor guy got thrown out his office window and was impaled on top of a very pointy sculpture. No witnesses. Lopez and Forensics are on scene, so you and Espinoza should head on over. Isn’t your consultant supposed to be here today?” he asked, looking around the bullpen. </p><p>“Yes sir, he’ll head straight there from a meeting he had downtown. Dan and I will get right on it!” I replied, eager to make a positive impression. Truthfully, Lucifer was supposed to check into the office today, but I hadn’t heard from him at all. I sighed, signaling Dan to head over with me. </p><p>Ever reliable in his crankiness, Dan bitched about Lucifer and his antics for the whole ride, smirking when he wasn’t there as predicted.</p><p>“I’m sure Lucifer will be here soon.” I snapped as we headed towards the yellow tape marking the crime scene. The Lieutenant sure wasn’t stretching the truth: our victim, an accountant named Gary Van Blunt, remained laid out the way he died— chest up with his body draped over the topmost spikes. It was perverse.</p><p>“Great, maybe this time he’ll show up with a kilo of coke, or another stripper wife!” Dan continued, as I walked around the sculpture’s base looking for clues. </p><p>“Oh come on, Dan. That was a long time ago, and the coke thing wasn’t his fault-- there was a scheduling issue...” I told him lamely, knowing my argument was flimsy. Lucifer’s life really was like a floating craps game; you never knew where he would turn up next, and you could only find him if you knew where to ask. </p><p>“More like a life issue,” he muttered. When I stopped short and glared, Dan continued. “As in, you cannot live the life he lives and still work with the LAPD.”</p><p>“Dan, do me a favor and cut him some slack. I know he’s been a little off kilter recently, but when it comes to the job, Lucifer’s got it covered.” I assured him, ducking under the tape. </p><p>Yes, readjustment issues had cropped up lately, but Lucifer had only been back with us for a short time. From the unnecessarily descriptive stories he’d told us, his life with Eve was pretty non-traditional, but I had faith that he’d find a sense of balance. After working with him for so many years, the best tool in my arsenal was patience.</p><p>“Hey, Ella, what have we got?” I asked my friend, who was busy handing off samples to a forensics colleague. </p><p>“This poor guy died on impact after being pushed out that window up there,” she said sadly, pointing to a broken pane of glass several floors up. “One day he’s just living his life, and the next day-smash!- just a like a bug on a windshield.” </p><p>I thought I saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes, which had never happened before at a crime scene.</p><p>Ella was acting strangely, so I made a note to check in on her later. In the meantime, Dan and I found the area where officers had gathered people who knew the victim or regularly walked through the office park.</p><p>I was about to start interviewing a client of Gary’s when Lucifer sprinted over, full of apologies. I held up my hand, letting our witness speak. He shut up immediately.</p><p>“He was the best auditor I ever had. What he had on his laptop alone could’ve ruined dozens of businesses,” she said, giving me the opportunity to ask if she knew if anyone might have had reason to harm Van Blunt. </p><p>“He did mention that someone was following him lately. He’d follow Gary from home to work, home, work, home...” she droned, causing my attention to drift to the incessant beeping from Lucifer’s phone. </p><p>When I turned to ask him to turn it off, I saw that he’d stepped about 10 feet away, behind a tall shrub. To my horror, he was clearly pointing his camera phone down his pants in public, probably at Eve’s request. What the hell was wrong with him?</p><p>I made my excuses to the witness and dragged him away, exasperated. He had the gall to look surprised. “Lucifer, what the hell were you doing taking intimate photos at a crime scene? We’re doing serious work here, but if that isn’t exciting enough for you, then maybe you shouldn’t be here!” I told him, flabbergasted by his behavior. </p><p>At least he still had the decency to look ashamed of himself. “Detective, I understand and I apologize,” Lucifer said, chastened. I gave him a slight nod of appreciation, but he had to do better.</p><p>“I know that I haven’t been at my best today, but I do take our partnership very seriously, and I hereby declare that the personal shall interfere with the professional no more.” he promised, a serious look on his face. </p><p>“Thank you, Lucifer, I appreciate that.” I told him with a small smile, but my irritation meter went right back up as his phone vibrated over and over, like Eve was taunting me. Finally, he shut it off.</p><p>By that time, though, we’d done a more promising interview: a younger looking woman who sketched daily in the office park had numerous detailed drawings of Gary being followed by a guy she called “Square Jaw Buzzcut.”  Within a couple of hours, Ella was able to get his identity using facial recognition software, which led me to a dingy parking garage.</p><p>That’s the glamorous life of a police detective: sitting in my car for hours, staked out near a vehicle belonging to one Vince Walker. As I waited for Lucifer to show up, I did some harmless googling about the biblical version of Eve. I couldn’t find much apart from the snake and apple stories, except that she was thought to represent “sin, seduction and the secondary nature of women.” Great, a checklist any guy would prefer over an ordinary modern day woman with a dangerous job and a kid.</p><p>But Ella actually met Eve awhile back at Lux, and said she was sweet. A little naive and vapid maybe, but she knew how to have fun and live free, just like Lucifer. They both loved partying and the sex and drugs lifestyle—I couldn’t even imagine that for myself, let alone expose Trixie to it.</p><p>I was beginning to think it’d been a pipe dream to think Lucifer could- or would even want to- live my kind of life. Maybe, even after all we’d been through, it just wasn’t meant to—</p><p>Suddenly, my train of thought was interrupted by a series of loud raps on my window. First, I cleared my google search bar, then I unlocked the passenger door and hissed at Lucifer to get in the car. He complied, gleefully opened up the middle console where I kept my snacks, ripping open a package of Doritos before handing me my customary granola bar. </p><p>“Ok, so we’re on a stakeout, undercover. That car over there is registered to the guy who was following Gary. It’s our only lead, so we’re kinda stuck here.” I whispered loudly, pointing to a nondescript car parked opposite us a few spaces away. </p><p>“I’m on it, Detective. Don’t worry, I won’t take my eyes off that car; I even muted the vibrate function on my phone so you’ll have my undivided attention!” he told me in reply, tittering a little at the word “vibrate” as he stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth. I couldn’t help but smile, as some of our sillier moments as a team came to mind. </p><p>Surely he still cared about those special moments of our friendship too, even if he was involved with another woman. Right? No, I chided myself. Not the time or place. </p><p>A couple of hours later there was still no sign of this Vince guy, and besides a few update calls from the station and one from Trixie’s sitter, we’d remained in pretty complete silence. It was my responsibility to speak first, and I did want to apologize.</p><p>“Look, I’m sorry that I was hard on you before. We all have our personal lives, and in mine I go to parent-teacher conferences; in yours, you and Eve host sex parties. To each their own, right? As long as you stop with the dick-pics, if you’re happy, I’m happy,” I assured him, a small forced chuckle escaping my lips as I kept my eye on the car in front of us.  </p><p>When he didn’t say anything, I glanced over to see him passed out and snoring lightly. Feeling much less generous, I realized that I didn’t want to lie to myself anymore.<br/>
So, I decided to unload my thoughts on my unconscious partner, narrowing my eyes at his unconscious face.</p><p>“You know what? I’m not happy. Of course, I want you to be happy, but the way that you’re happy makes me uncomfortable— it makes me feel sick, to be honest. And yes, sometimes it makes me jealous. So, I hate the way you’re happy! And there it is...” I concluded, feeling both disgusted and sad.</p><p>Only moments later, the guy we were looking for showed up, and I had to elbow Lucifer several times to get him to wake up. The stakeout turned out to be a bit of a bust, but we did find out where Gary was taken from before his murder.</p><p>A nudist colony. Of course I expected Lucifer to be excited about it, but Ella’s enthusiasm took me completely by surprise. But sure enough, they stripped down, interviewed a whole bunch of naked people, and found us our man: Julian McCaffrey, a scuzzy rich guy who was being protected by his extremely rich and powerful shipping magnate father. </p><p>The little jerk posted bail only minutes into my interrogation, but Lucifer really came through at crunch time, getting us an essential piece of evidence possibly linking father and son to a terrible crime. A crime that could happen that very night.</p><p>As we headed out together to drive down to the docks, Lucifer looked extremely bothered and pensive. </p><p>“Hey Lucifer, what’s up with your face?” I joked, knocking my shoulder against his, trying to get him to open up. The question got him to look at me, but not in the way I wanted. He was in a mood.</p><p>“Detective, there’s something I need to tell you.” he said in a darkly serious tone.</p><p>“Of course. You can still tell me anything. I want you feel like you can trust me again.” I told him, feeling almost as exposed as he’d literally been earlier that day. The vulnerability I felt in his presence, especially in moments like this, was almost overwhelming. I was glad that we’d reached the car, a place where I could be and feel in control, for at least a little while.</p><p>“A few days ago, when I texted you, I was in a very bad, dark place; I mean, it was dark emotionally, as Linda would say.” he admitted, addressing his thoughts more comfortably to the car’s gray exterior than to me. </p><p>“I guess that I’m glad you felt like you could reach out to me like that,” was all I could think of to say, since I wasn’t entirely sure what he was trying to tell me. I didn’t want to rush him, but we did have somewhere important to go. “Maybe we should get in the car?” I suggested, and he laughed a little.</p><p>“Lead the way, Detective,” he said, and I unlocked the car with a grin, wondering if he knew that saying such a familiar little phrase would melt any angry feelings I had left. </p><p>I pulled the car out of the parking lot, staying quiet so he wouldn’t feel pressure to talk until he was ready. “I had a strange reaction, and it didn’t make sense to me, but getting in touch with you did.” Lucifer said, so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him. </p><p>“What kind of reaction?” I asked, clearing my throat. It suddenly felt bone dry.</p><p>“We were having a party upstairs after I played piano down at the bar. I felt great at first, but perhaps there were too many people. I felt the need to escape; to find my own space away from everyone else, which has never happened to me. That’s when I texted you.” he explained, still mystified by the whole experience. </p><p>I took a minute to process everything he’d just told me. Maybe he’d had a panic attack, or claustrophobia? Could those things even happen to him without me around?</p><p>“Ummm, I’m no psychologist, but it sounds like you panicked. If you can figure out why, it’s less likely to happen again.” I offered, figuring he would laugh such a human response off. But he didn’t. He just nodded. </p><p>“You’re right, it was panic,” he said as I stopped for a red light. He took the opportunity to face me full on. “Detect, sorry, Chloe— I think it means something that you helped me to feel calm again. I just wanted to thank you for that.” </p><p>He looked deep into my eyes, and I was floored. His admission meant everything. The light changed, so I had to turn my attention back to the road, but my heart was bursting inside. I could feel his eyes on me, so I said a small “You’re welcome.” just to let him know I understood. </p><p>Even in the smallest of ways, Lucifer was showing me he still cared, and I felt relief spread all the way down to my toes. After we arrested Julian and blew up his plans, I was going to tell my partner, without a shadow of doubt, how much I cared about him too.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Lowdown and Dirty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lucifer and Chloe recreate their bond, but trying to bring Julian to justice ends with tragic results. Meanwhile, Maze finds a new crush, and Eve hatches a plan to eliminate the competition. </p><p>Comments and feedback are appreciated, even the constructive ones! Thanks for reading &lt;3</p>
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    <p>Eve awoke from her nap to the sound of jingling chimes, rousing her gently from sleep. It was her 4pm phone alarm, set as her late night party wake up call. Because she enjoyed the calming ringtone, and because she felt like idling a bit longer, Eve hit the snooze button and rolled to her side, seeing Maze perched at the far corner of Lucifer’s huge bed.</p><p>“Wakey-wakey, gorgeous.” Maze cooed, using a very sharp looking knife to slice a bit of apple into her mouth. Eve smiled at the demon, still marveling at the amazing stories she’d told about the wild times she and Lucifer had across the centuries, both in Hell and on Earth.</p><p>“Thank you for taking such good care of me while Lucifer’s been out— working.” Eve told Maze with both gratitude and a touch of bitterness, throwing the covers aside dramatically.</p><p>“It was my pleasure, believe me...Would you like a bite of apple?” Maze asked saucily, silently thanking Lucifer for bringing such a goddess into their lives. Eve nodded, sitting up and tossing her long curls behind her right shoulder.</p><p>Maze handed her the fruit, staring at the exact spot she longed to bite on Eve’s exposed neck. Tonight she’d get Lucifer’s official signal that Eve was theirs to share, as was their custom over the millennia.</p><p>He’d brought Maze to Earth to take part in every bit of excitement they could find; in return, she loyally served as his protector. They swore a mutual agreement to share and share alike whenever someone (or several someones) of interest wandered across their paths. Eve definitely fit the bill with her creamy skin, huge brown eyes and tight little body.</p><p>“So, what are you guys up to tonight?” Maze asked, as casually as she could.</p><p>“I don’t know. I’m not sure when he’ll be back from this stupid case,” Eve pouted, looking glum. “I mean, I’m happy he likes what he’s doing— I just didn’t expect him to be there all the time.”</p><p>Maze nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, that used to piss me off too, until I got a life of my own. Hunting bounties, going where I want when I want; that’s the life, Eve.”</p><p>“But I don’t want my own life. I came here to be with him...” Eve mumbled, her head in her hands. She thought of their conversation earlier in the day, when he was home in between his casework. Eve had tried to convince Lucifer that she saw him resisting his true nature, that he was being held back by the police department’s strict rules. He’d laughed it off, saying that nobody controlled his life, and that the Devil didn’t owe anyone a damn thing.</p><p>When she suggested that Chloe was the main reason Lucifer wasn’t able to be his true self, he hadn’t reacted well— until she hit a nerve. “I can see you pretending to be something you’re not, and you don’t have to; you’re already perfect.” she’d assured him, holding his face in her small hands.</p><p>“You think I’m pretending to be something I’m not?” Lucifer asked, looking destabilized to his very core. She’d looked up at him beguilingly through her long lashes, sending his own question back to him; it would’ve planted the perfect seeds of doubt but for another interruption from the LAPD, and he was off again.</p><p>Seeing that Eve was getting upset about something, Maze scooted closer to her on the bed, holding out another bite of apple.</p><p>“I’m not gonna let you just sit here, waiting for your man,” she declared, causing Eve look up with a dumbstruck expression. “You are the original party girl! What do you say we go out and find our own fun together? We’ll stay incommunicado just long enough to get Lucifer’s attention, I promise.”</p><p>A slow smile spread across Eve’s face. Yes, maybe her Devil needed a touch of jealous fire to rev his motor back up, she realized. It did sound like Maze knew how to handle Lucifer perfectly, and Eve didn’t mind the help.</p><p>All of this hanging around with Chloe Decker wasn’t helping either. That morning, Eve finally received a message back from Cain’s former associates. They knew all about the Detective and would be more than happy to help their boss’ mother with a grand act of vengeance. All she had to do was give them a time and a place, and nothing would track back to her. </p><p>Eve knew that Lucifer could never fully devote himself unless Chloe was erased from the picture; the way things were going, that wouldn’t happen without a little nudge. The time had come to make her move.</p><p>——————————————</p><p> </p><p>Chloe</p><p>We sat in the car at our designated point near the docks, sharing snacks and chatting here and there about nothing terribly important. It felt nice, and normal, to be casual together again.</p><p>“You awake?” I asked sarcastically, never taking my eyes from the dock. He huffed a laugh beside me, thinking of his catnap from our last stakeout.</p><p>“Very funny, Detective.” he drawled.</p><p>Turning to him, I wanted to let him know that his contributions really made the difference in so many of our cases, especially to me. “You know, we wouldn’t have gotten this far without you— you did good, Lucifer.” I said with a nod and a smile. He looked back at me with a confused, maybe even unsure expression on his face. He hesitated for a few moments before speaking.</p><p>“Do you think I’m different when I’m at work than I am when I’m not at work?” Lucifer asked cryptically, his eyes begging me to solve this mystery problem.</p><p>“Why are you asking me that? I’ve never seen you shy away from a compliment before!” I exclaimed in reaction to his weird question.</p><p>“Please answer the question, Detective— it’s important that I know what you think on this one.” he replied with urgency in his voice. Even though I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me, I answered as honestly as I could.</p><p>“Okay, well in that case, I think everyone is a little different at work. We’re all just trying to put our best foot forward.” I said, hoping that would help.</p><p>“But do you think the person I’m trying to be at work is, ah- I don’t know- dishonest?”</p><p>I wondered where he’d ever gotten an idea like that, and thought back to a dumb bass riff he invented years ago: ‘Crime-solving Devil, it makes sense. Don’t overthink it.’ That turned out to be the best explanation of his role, amazingly enough.</p><p>So, I tried a different, more direct approach. “Do you like work?”</p><p>“I do. I like work very much,” he answered, with as open and honest an expression I’d seen on his face since the night he almost got chopped by an axe. I felt like sobbing with joy, but since we were laying in wait for a criminal, I needed my instincts sharp.</p><p>Instead, I gave him what I hoped was a comforting smile, which he returned. Then he launched into his next philosophical query. </p><p>“Work makes me want to be a better man, but if I’ve never been that man before, then is it even real?”</p><p>“I think we’re all growing and changing, all of the time,” I told him, eager to keep hold of the moment. “I mean, look at me. Fifteen years ago I was naked it a hot tub...”</p><p>He chuckled at that. “Yes, still one of my favorite films!”</p><p>“Well, the point is, I never would’ve pictured myself as a detective or a mom, or the owner of so many sensible brown shoes...” I chuckled, and he concurred with a grin.</p><p>“It just feels right. So I think that if what you’re doing and who you are at work feels right, then I think you know it’s real.” I told him, pressing the back of my head into the headrest. How on earth did Linda handle intense conversations with patients on a daily basis? Clearly I was not meant to be a therapist.</p><p>We didn’t have much time to let the revelations sink in, because a caravan suddenly pulled up alongside the Marigold. I unholstered my gun, watching with horror as Julian McCaffrey came out of the ship’s hold, followed by at least a dozen frightened looking women.</p><p>“So Julian was using daddy’s shipping company as slave transport.” he deduced, observing the scene before us with disgust.</p><p>I nodded, and clicked on my radio with resolve: “Detective Decker requesting backup in what looks like a human trafficking situation.” and placed it back in my jacket.</p><p>“Gary must’ve found out somehow.” I said, searching my brain for evidence to fit the puzzle pieces together as quickly as I could.</p><p>“And Julian killed him before Gary could expose the operation.” Lucifer added, filling in the gaps.</p><p>“We can’t let him get away.” I told Lucifer, and he met my eyes with unspoken agreement.</p><p>We exited the car, and I put my gun up, yelling “LAPD, hands in the air!” Julian saw us, and he pulled out his own pistol as a second gunman joined him and began firing at us. We found cover behind some crates.</p><p>All hell broke loose, with bullets flying and screams from the terrified women reverberating through the air. Several squad cars pulled up, and I moved to give them room as Lucifer left my side.</p><p>When I looked back, he was in the middle of delivering a knockout punch to one of Julian’s accomplices. I flashed him a proud grin, but then spotted Julian running back toward the warehouse out of the corner of my eye.</p><p>“Lucifer, Julian’s getting away!” I yelled, pointing the direction he’d gone. Immediately Lucifer started running, as eager to bring in that piece of scum as I was.</p><p>————————————</p><p> </p><p>Julian darted nervously around the deserted warehouse, knowing that he could be caught any moment. The sound of a large machine whirring to life made him turn in fear, and suddenly he was standing face to face with that police consultant from the hot tub.</p><p>Lucifer grabbed the smaller man by the lapels, a menacing grin on his face. “Julian, you’re a slippery one, aren’t you? But then again, most cockroaches are,” he seethed, abruptly turning and forcing the smaller man toward a gigantic fan belt.</p><p>“You aren’t so cocky now without daddy’s lawyers around, eh?” Lucifer mocked him with glee. “Tell me, does he know what you’ve been up to?”</p><p>“Do you think my dad is any better than me?” Julian cried out pathetically, trying to buy time as he was forced closer to the machine. “He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I’m in a fancy suit with a big smile, but at least I admit I’m a wolf! I mean, what kind of man pretends to be something he isn’t?”</p><p>Lucifer hesitated at Julian’s unintentionally damning words, throwing him to the floor. “It’s your lucky day,” Lucifer snarled at the cowering mess at his feet. “I’ve decided to leave your punishment to the police.”</p><p>Suddenly, Julian saw a release mechanism on the floor and pushed it, causing more than a dozen barrels to fall towards his assailant. As he booked it to the warehouse’s back entrance, a young police officer barred his path.</p><p>“LAPD, don’t move!” the small woman shouted, her weapon pointed straight at him. Julian didn’t hesitate to raise his own gun, shooting her at point blank range before running off into the night.</p><p>Lucifer finally reached Rookie Joan and kneeled to check for a pulse, managing to pull her into his arms in case he could deliver her any comfort in her last moments.</p><p>But there was no pulse, and now a young, promising officer with her whole life in front of her was dead, because of him. Grotesquely, his mind was drawn back to Uriel’s death, peering down at the red stickiness coating his hands and clothing.</p><p>Dan and Chloe rushed in seconds later, weapons pointed at the person holding Joan; Lucifer looked back up at them, horrified and covered in blood.</p><p>It could’ve been seconds or hours, but some amount of time passed while Lucifer numbly watcher the coroner ready Joan’s body for transport to the morgue. A number of police staff filed past, but no one paid him any attention, least of all the Detective. She was busy giving instructions to various officers, increasing the search parameters for Julian McCaffrey.</p><p>If he could just get Chloe’s attention, maybe they could make sense of what had happened and formulate a new plan together. All of this watching and waiting was driving Lucifer to his wit’s end.</p><p>“I can’t believe you let him go!” Dan said crossly, suddenly appearing at Lucifer’s shoulder with a disgusted look on his face.</p><p>“For once, I agree with you.” Lucifer muttered blankly, feeling like he could break down at any second. For some reason, that made Dan even more angry.</p><p>“You think you’re helping, Lucifer, but you’re not. When will you learn? You’re not one of the good guys.” he accused coldly, then stalked away toward his fellow officers.</p><p>Dan’s impotent fury was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Lucifer that night. He gave up trying to find the Detective, his guilt curdling into anger and resentment. Maybe it was pointless to try mixing with humanity, he thought to himself, punching an Uber order into his phone. None of the lot of them, not even Chloe, could ever see him as more than a Devil on their shoulders, whispering evil.</p><p>Even after being cast into the deepest, darkest pits of Hell following his fall from grace, he had never felt more alone. But he wasn’t alone, he remembered with a tiny spark of relief. Eve was waiting for him at the penthouse, totally ready to focus on him.</p><p>———————————-</p><p> </p><p>Eve gasped in horror when she saw Lucifer stumble into the penthouse, covered in blood.</p><p>“Luce, Luce, what on Earth happened to you?” she asked, her voice full of concern. She felt him sag against her for a moment, but but he quickly righted himself, grabbing a decanter of whisky and a glass, and collapsing onto the nearest chair.</p><p>Relieved that it wasn’t his blood, Eve leaned against the bar to hear the no-doubt grisly details of the crime scene he’d just left.</p><p>“A young officer was killed tonight by a very bad man who got away, and it was all my fault,” he managed to croak out, barely staving off a flood of tears. In a useless attempt to mask his emotions, Lucifer poured the glass almost to the brim and gulped the whole thing down. But he felt neither comfort nor the usual satisfaction. Instead, he felt weighed down by his shame.</p><p>Eve looked at him firmly, crossing her arms.<br/>
“Sounds like it was the man’s fault to me. Who is this guy anyway?” she asked, turning what felt like a confusing nightmare into a black and white scenario. Julian was the real monster, after all...</p><p>“He’s a murderer, a human trafficker, destroyer of lives... And he’s on the loose,” Lucifer told her, anguish still written plainly across his features. Eve went over to his chair and knelt down in front of him, like a supplicant. He resisted the urge to laugh at the idea of anyone worshipping him.</p><p>“You can’t let him get away with that. He should be punished,” she cajoled, looking for a way to reignite his inner fire.</p><p>“By me, you mean? Honestly I’m not sure if I have it in me anymore,” he replied with a mirthless chuckle, slumping back in his chair as his negative thoughts threatened to envelop him once again.</p><p>Eve couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stood back up, and confronted him with her truth, the reason she left Heaven for him. “Lucifer, you will always have it in you. You’re The Devil, the ultimate punisher,” she told him with reverence, eyes lighting up as she witnessed his confidence returning. He nodded in agreement.</p><p>He stood, towering over her with his height, and Eve stared up at him with lust in her eyes. “Yes, yes I am. And I know exactly where the sniveling little bastard is. Let’s get to the car—I’m going to enjoy showing him some hell...” he said, stalking toward the elevator with a renewed sense of purpose. The cruel tone in his voice caused Eve to gasp in delight.</p><p>They were going forth to deliver punishment, together. Her Devil was finally back.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Broken Little Dolls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Well, that one took me longer than expected! Figuring out the best way for Eve to threaten our beloved detective ain’t easy, so I hope you enjoy the results! </p><p>Thank you for reading my first long form fic! More angst to follow soon... xo</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p> </p><p>Dan called early the next morning with news that Julian McCaffrey was rushed to Cedars-Sinai overnight. He had a broken back and would likely spend the rest of his life paralyzed from the chest down. I was shocked, clasping a hand over my mouth, repeating “Oh God, oh God!” in a loud stupor. What the hell happened?</p><p>“Mom, is something wrong? Is it Daddy, or Lucifer?” Trixie asked from her perch at the breakfast bar, her brow furrowed in concern. I gave her a comforting smile, shaking my head.</p><p>“Oh gosh no, Trix. Dad’s on the phone about one of our cases, and it surprised me, that’s all.” I assured her, feigning nonchalance. She seemed satisfied by my answer, focusing back on her cereal. I asked Dan to continue, sneaking glances at my daughter to make sure she was ok.</p><p>“Look, let’s not scare Trixie by talking about it now. Julian’s not gonna open up about details anytime soon, so there’s no reason for you to come to the hospital. I can’t believe he thinks we’re gonna buy his ‘I fell down a hill’ story.” Dan scoffed. It did seem beyond the realm of possibility that this was an accident, but who would Julian be covering for? </p><p>“Ok, then our next step is to meet back at the station and put together a suspects list. I’ll see you there.” I told him, and we hung up.</p><p>I wasn’t satisfied, though, and after Trixie left for the bus I wracked my brain trying to make sense of the details. Who might’ve hated the guy enough to inflict such damage? The thought of his injuries made my stomach turn— no matter how awful a person he was, Julian McCaffrey deserved jail time, not a permanent injury.</p><p>Could it have been one of his shady partners? A mob hit? Angry nudists looking for revenge? I reviewed the case details in my head on my drive to work, frustrated by my lack of ideas. If Lucifer was here, we’d probably have a handful of credible theories by now, but I hadn’t talked to him since he disappeared from the scene last night. As was his habit when feeling hurt or wronged, he wasn’t returning my calls anyway.</p><p>I felt terrible about not checking in with him about Joan at the scene— he didn’t deserve to take the rap for her death or Julian's getaway— but the scene was so chaotic that I just didn’t get the chance. When Dan told me about their exchange, I reamed him out, knowing that Lucifer probably felt a hundred times worse than Dan could ever imagine. Now, I had no idea when he’d show up again, but he’d probably be perfectly happy wrapped around Eve in their orgy den.</p><p>I wanted to bang my head against the steering wheel: why did she have to be everything I wasn’t? Why did she have to show up almost exactly when I was at my lowest point? Could she have planned that...?</p><p>The enormity of my frustration and jealousy threatened to overwhelm me, so I answered an incoming call from Ella with relief.</p><p>“Hey, chica!” Ella said brightly. “Just wanted to let you know that we’re headed to a new crime scene and the LT told me to ping you. Can’t believe we’re catching a new one so soon, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, huh?”</p><p>“Ok, I’ll meet you there, just ping me the address. Thanks babe!” I replied, trying to sound happier than I felt. A new case on the docket meant trying Lucifer again, and I didn’t feel like hearing his voicemail for the hundredth time. </p><p>After exiting the freeway, I pulled off the road to text him the details, probably in vain. I sighed, wondering how my workaday life had morphed into this crazy world where angels, biblical figures and excommunicated Vatican investigators existed. What I really wanted to do was head home and crawl back under my covers, but I had a job to do, no matter what was happening in my personal life.</p><p>Arriving at the scene, I pulled down firmly on my jacket’s lapels as if they’d help ground me in reality, and walked over to Ella’s spot next to a bloodied and mangled body. “So, what’ve we got today?”</p><p>“Don’t you look cute?” Ella said in greeting, looking approvingly at my very basic navy and white striped top and blazer. I gave her a shrug and a smile, guessing she noticed I’d applied a bit more makeup than usual. Trixie had insisted before she left for the bus, saying that dressing my face up might help me feel happier. I’d been trying to keep my feelings hidden, but my girl was perceptive! To my surprise, it actually worked a bit. </p><p>“Well, our vic here died from a gunshot to the head from up on that bridge,” she told me, pointing at the viaduct above us. “But apparently murdering wasn’t enough, so they tossed his body over like day-old garbage.” </p><p>I pulled on my purple nitrile gloves and crouched down beside the victim, whose body was broken and bruised in a truly callous way. The gunshot wound on his forehead was a dead center hit, so the gunman clearly knew what he was doing.</p><p>“Ella, it looks like he broke nearly every bone in his body!” I gasped in disbelief, shaking my head sadly as I pressed myself back up to a standing position. “What do we know about him?”</p><p>“His name’s Sam Zofrelli. He’s got a rap sheet filled with drug possession charges; we actually found traces of cocaine in his pockets, but no sign of drug use. I’m guessing he was probably a dealer.”</p><p>We went over the details for a few minutes, theorizing that he was most likely robbed of his keys and wallet post-mortem. The only unexplained detail was a broken right index finger with a tan line. Ella snapped a photo.</p><p>“Hey, where’s Lucifer? Is he still ghosting you?” Ella asked me sympathetically. We’d spent a lot of time on the phone the night before, pouring our hearts out like two teenagers. It felt good to have a girlfriend to confide in. </p><p>“Yup. Maybe it’s better off that he’s not here anyway.” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. If I thought about it optimistically, the distance could turn out to be positive. We could stay partners— maybe it wasn’t necessary to see each other socially. The idea of not having Lucifer woven into the fabric of my life felt wrong, but I wasn’t sure I had the strength to see him settled with another woman. I shook my head as if I could clear my brain of those thoughts.</p><p>“Ella, do you think Eve is really the right person for Lucifer? They seem to bring out the worst in each other. I think she’s rubbing off on him, and not necessarily in a good way...” I asked her, glancing up to see her looking over my shoulder with a panicked expression. “What’s up? You look like you’re about to say she’s right behind me or something!” I said, starting to laugh. </p><p>“Good morning, Detective!” Lucifer’s voice suddenly rang out merrily. I froze.</p><p>At that, Ella’s eyes bugged out even more, and I realized that Eve likely wasn’t too far behind. I spun around so quickly that I felt slightly dizzy. “Lucifer!” I said in a high, brittle voice that sounded nothing like my own. He looked at me with a puzzled expression, while Eve stood next to him appraising me.</p><p>“Lucifer, I’m glad you showed up, but this is a crime scene— no visitors allowed. No offense, Eve.” I told them, recovering my composure. Her mouth turned down and she tugged on his arm.</p><p>“But Detective, Eve wants the same thing we do. To catch a killer!” he insisted, sending me a grin that looked more challenging than friendly.</p><p>“Yes, exactly,” Eve piped up, pressing herself tighter against Lucifer’s side. “I want to learn everything you know about catching criminals, Chloe— especially the very, very bad ones!” she told me, gazing up at Lucifer for last part of her sentence. For that, her voice and expression changed into something we didn’t usually see at a murder scene: lust. </p><p>“Uh, can I talk to you for a sec, alone?” I asked him, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. With a crisp nod, he followed me, leaving Ella to manage Eve. </p><p>“Ok, this isn’t gonna work, Lucifer.” I said sharply, crossing my arms. </p><p>When he asked why not, I tried to think of the best way to explain the situation to a young child. “You know that random people can’t just join a case for the fun of it,” I told him crossly. “We are solving a murder; this is serious.”</p><p>He bristled visibly at my jab, eyes narrowing as if issuing a warning. If he was trying to make me uncomfortable, it was working.</p><p>“I agree, it’s very serious. But if that’s the way you feel, I completely understand...” he replied with a false breeziness, starting to walk away. </p><p>“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, genuinely surprised.</p><p>“If you don’t want us here, we’ll find the killer on our own!” he threatened, striding back toward his car. </p><p>“You don’t mean— you can’t do that!” I sputtered, but he raised his eyebrows defiantly at me as Eve popped back up by his side, threading her fingers through his. I weighed my options: was the possibility of the two of them causing a dangerous situation worse than enduring Eve on one case? I lifted my hands in defeat.</p><p>“Ok, fine,” I conceded, gritting my teeth. “Eve can ride along, just for this case.” </p><p>As I walked in the opposite direction toward my car, I heard her cutesy little giggle floating through the air. It was going to be a long day.</p><p> </p><p>Back at the precinct, Eve looked hungrily at the bulletin board where our current “most wanted” mug shots were posted. </p><p>“Ooh, what about this guy, Lucifer? He looks really guilty...” she suggested, pulling a criminal’s rap sheet off the board as if it was an ad for a babysitter. Lucifer just smiled at her indulgently, and it made me want to smack him. </p><p>“One criminal at a time, my dear.” I heard him say after two more papers were ripped from the board. Feeling a headache coming on, I walked briskly to the lab for an update on the forensic evidence.</p><p>“Hey Ella, what do we know so far?” I asked her, trying to ignore the happy couple coming in behind me. </p><p>“We still don’t know why Sam’s body was tossed off that bridge-” she began, but Lucifer cut her off with his own theory.</p><p>“Well obviously, the killer is a maniacal monster who needs to be taken down!” he declared, slapping his hand down on the lab countertop as Eve watched reverently. Caught off guard by the sound, even Ella—who usually had a high tolerance for Lucifer’s bullshit—looked tired of his antics.</p><p>“Maybe, Lucifer... But I did discover that the killer pistol-whipped poor Sam before he died.” Ella told us, continuing to side eye him suspiciously.</p><p>“Sounds like it could be personal, and aggressive?” he said, mostly to Eve, who whispered something to him that made him grin like the Cheshire Cat.  </p><p>“And a mistake,” Ella added loudly, surprising them both. “Because I was able to recover something from the gun marks on his face.” She leaned past me to grab a delicate glass slide, which she put under the microscope. </p><p>“Gold flakes!” she announced with a smile. As she leaned forward to switch on the projected image, I recalled a recent case involving a weapon painted in gold leaf. It was the talk of the precinct.</p><p>“Ella, do you remember we had a hitman awhile back, who carried a golden pistol or something unique like that?” I asked her, and a look of recognition flew across her face. </p><p>Sure enough, a simple database search turned up a man named Greg Grabowski, aka Pony Boy, a known gunman who spent most of his days pumping iron at Muscle Beach. </p><p>“That’s right; we were never able to pin him down because he’s so good. But if this wasn’t a hit and it was personal, it would explain why he was so sloppy.” I reasoned, looking over to Lucifer for his thoughts, out of habit. He shifted his eyes away and down to Eve.</p><p>“Let’s go punish him!” Eve said excitedly, as if this were all a big game. Disbelievingly, I looked to Lucifer to correct her but he just grinned; like I was the idiot.</p><p>“You mean, let’s bring him to justice.” I said firmly, giving Ella an exasperated look as they walked out of the room. She just stared back, mirroring my expression with a shrug of her shoulders. “Ugh, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this, Ella!” I groaned, resting my forearms on her exam table and dropping my head in frustration.</p><p>“I sure don’t know what’s going on with them, but you can do this, Decker. Be your bad ass self and go arrest that golden gun-toting bastard!” Ella cheered, trying to boost my spirits. </p><p> </p><p>We wound up tracking Pony Boy to a beachside outdoor gym where I witnessed many things, including Eve drooling over the muscular men, Lucifer getting all whiny about it (which privately delighted me), and most importantly, crucial info that cleared the hitman’s name. Helpless against Lucifer’s mojo, Pony Boy admitted that he knew about the murder but hadn’t actually killed Sam. His interrogation testimony gave us more solid ground to question Jacob Tiernan, Julian’s father.</p><p> </p><p>That afternoon back at the station, I went over my findings with Ella. Lucifer and Eve flitted in after a pretty long absence, then acted like a pair of overgrown children over at my desk.</p><p>“Ok, so Tiernan’s son shows up paralyzed from the chest down, then this guy Sam gets killed. What’s the connection?” I wondered, tapping my pen against my chin.</p><p>“Forensics suggest that Sam’s bones were broken before he was killed; now that i think about it, the injuries mirror Julian’s almost exactly...” she realized, but Lucifer came over, suddenly quite interested in what he’d called “detectiving” in happier times.</p><p>“Are you talking about Julian McCaffrey? What does he have to do with this case?”</p><p>“Ah, glad you’ve decided to do some work,” I snarked, and I saw him flush just slightly. Good. </p><p>I continued toward my theory. “Maybe Tiernan thought Sam was the one who broke Julian’s back! Normally, he’d hire Pony Boy to do his dirty work, but since it was his son Tiernan wanted to get revenge himself.” My gut told me we were onto something huge. </p><p>Ella held a hand up for me to high five, and I caught Lucifer watching with what looked like regret in his eyes. I looked away, confused, but his face was completely neutral when I glanced back only seconds later. </p><p>“Man, that’s some serious dedication, so Tiernan must’ve used Pony Boy’s gun to do it! I’ll get you the M.E. report.” Ella said, clicking in the final piece of our puzzle before rushing away.</p><p>“Ok, let’s go find Tiernan. It’s the middle of the day, so our best place to start is his office. Meet you there?” I said to Lucifer, who appeared to be deep in thought. He nodded in agreement and I gathered my things to go, but Lucifer still hadn’t moved a muscle. I had the feeling that he was troubled, and that was never good. </p><p>————————————</p><p> </p><p>Eve watched Lucifer’s face closely as he drove to Jacob Tiernan’s office. The day had been so full of excitement already— especially seeing Lucifer use his devilish abilities to wring the truth out of that Pony guy—that she was giddy with anticipation. </p><p>But instead of excitement, or even anger that Tiernan’s punishment had been delayed so long, he had an expression on his face that looked disturbed, maybe even guilty. </p><p>“Luce, I just want you to know that I’m proud of you,” she said, patting the top of his hand as they parked beside a sleek glass office building. He didn’t respond, so she went on. “I’m happy that you’re finally becoming the best version of yourself. We’re both who we were meant to be now,  together.”</p><p>Lucifer continued his silence, opening her car door and offering her his hand, even though his face held no discernible emotion. </p><p>Finally, as they approached the building’s revolving doors, he spoke. “We’re going in there to confront and punish that disgusting excuse for a human, Eve. Once that’s done, you and I need to talk.” he told her, his voice low and chilly. </p><p>Eve’s heart sank in fear, hoping she’d misinterpreted his meaning. She gave him a small smile as he gestured for her to enter first, then took hold of his arm when they saw Chloe waiting in the lobby. Suddenly, Lucifer’s phone buzzed, and he excused himself, citing an issue at Lux. </p><p>The two women stood by the elevators together, awkwardly. Eve itched to take control of whatever had just happened with Lucifer, so she decided to play her cards, laying it all out on the table for Chloe to see.</p><p>“I remember what you did, Chloe Decker,” she began, her voice low and menacing. Chloe looked at her in a mix of confusion and apprehension, exactly as she’d hoped. </p><p>“Cain was my firstborn, and you killed him. I saw it all happen from the celestial plane. Now, you want to take Lucifer from me because you think he loves you. That’s not going to happen.” </p><p>“Eve, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Chloe said in an even tone, honed from over a decade defusing hostile situations, but Eve needed to say it all before Lucifer got back. She narrowed her eyes and continued:</p><p>“Of course you have no idea what I’m talking about. That’s because you think you know how this works!” Eve snapped, and Chloe’s jaw nearly hit the floor in surprise. “Lucifer is not yours; if you try to interfere any more in our relationship, well let’s just say that your past SINS haven’t been forgotten. On my command, they can get to you and your precious daughter. Just be careful...” she warned the blonde detective, smirking with satisfaction. </p><p>Chloe remained frozen in shock, giving Eve time to check her reflection in the mirrored walls and apply more lipstick as Lucifer rejoined them.</p><p>“Alright, ladies, sorry for the interruption. We’ve got a shipping magnate to bring down!” he said with a bit too much bravado, giving them each a big fake smile. He pressed the call button for an elevator to their right, and it opened as if it’d been waiting for him. Lucifer let them get on first, then Chloe looked at her phone and located the button for Tiernan’s floor.</p><p>As the elevator lurched into motion, carrying its three passengers upwards, deadly silence surrounded them, suffocating and merciless.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Law & Order</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The aftermath of Eve's threat takes its toll on Chloe's nerves, and Lucifer considers his own feelings. </p><p>Enjoy! Comments are my drug of choice :)</p>
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    <p>The tension in the elevator was so thick that even Lucifer felt too uncomfortable to say a word. The two women in his life were silent on either side of him. Eve stood with her arms folded, looking bored and<br/>
petulant; Chloe scrolled through her phone, going over the case details. He could tell from her anxious expression, though, that her mind was somewhere else, because she would never be intimidated by a man like Jacob Tiernan.</p><p>Only he himself could terrify Chloe Decker.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, the elevator door opened with a cheery ding right into Tiernan Shipping's front office. Chloe bustled out first, double-checking the safety on her gun as she headed to reception. Eve tried to follow, but Lucifer took her elbow in a silent request to stay put. She pulled away sulkily, focusing on Chloe for a few seconds before turning back to him.</p><p>“Did something happen between you and the Detective while I was gone?” he asked suspiciously, since he could feel her fighting her desire to give him a straight answer. Once he released her from his gaze, Eve molded her expression into what she thought he wanted. Her eyes practically glowed with warmth and innocence.</p><p>“Luce, you’re being silly! I was just thinking about all of the fun ways we can make this guy pay for his crimes.” she said casually, as if punishing murderers was just another high to chase.</p><p>“Eve, you do realize that this man brutally stole someone’s life? That he’ll burn in Hell for the rest of eternity?” he asked, his eyes searching hers for a spark of realization that he knew would never come.</p><p>“Well, the Devil I saw break a man’s back the other night wouldn’t have a problem.” Eve challenged, almost in a whisper.</p><p>Lucifer was at a loss for words as waves of guilt threatened to engulf him. He had viciously crippled Julian to avenge Joan-- it was the only option the King of Hell had to atone for his mistakes. Eve would never be able to comprehend the massive weight real punishment bore on his soul.</p><p>Eve saw his haunted expression and tried to soothe him, taking his hands in her own. “This is who you are, Lucifer. Don't worry, I've always wanted you to be the best version of yourself.” Eve said fondly, taking their joined hands and placing them on his chest, close to his heart.</p><p>Unbidden, his mind flashed to Chloe holding an axe to that same spot. He’d felt nothing but warmth and trust in that moment. Right now, he only felt a gaping maw where his heart should be, so he gently pulled her hands down and away. She frowned, trying to figure out how she could appeal to the side of him she liked best: King of Hell.</p><p>“Besides, he deserves it, doesn’t he? I’m sure Chloe will want to be all ’law and order’ about questioning this guy, so let’s catch up and make sure he gets his punishment!” Eve cajoled, grinning with all of her teeth bared. It was meant to be charming, he knew that. But he also knew, way down to his very core, that something was horribly wrong.</p><p>He wanted to pull the truth from her right away, but the case came first. “Very well, let’s go.” he grumbled, urging her along.</p><p>The Detective, ever scrupulous, had already arranged everything with Margaret, the woman at the reception desk. All they had to do was wait for her signal, which came rather quickly. Tiernan must’ve known what they want to discuss.</p><p>Margaret led them into an enormous room with three walls made entirely of glass panels that mirrored the building’s design. Sparsely decorated in a modern style, the center of the room featured a desk, two pristine cream couches and a few leather chairs. She gestured for them to sit, and that Mr. Tiernan would be with them shortly.</p><p>“Well, this guy certainly wants to intimidate anyone who comes to his office. Two floors of the precinct could fit in here.” Chloe remarked quietly, looking around as she took a seat on one side of the couch. Eve sat on the opposite end, giving Lucifer an impatient glance— almost as if she was challenging him to choose a side. Since their suspect hadn’t come in yet, he remained standing, drifting behind them both.</p><p>“Ah yes, Detective Decker. How can I help you?” Jacob Tiernan asked suavely, suddenly crossing the room from a hidden door. He had wasn’t tall, but he struck Lucifer as someone who was used to wielding power mercilessly; the kind of industry titan who ended up in his neck of the woods, when the time came.</p><p>Instead of introducing himself, Tiernan stood by the opposite couch, appraising the odd trio. The only thing that impressed Lucifer was the other man’s suit— clearly he had lots of money, and someone on his staff with good taste.</p><p>“Mr. Tiernan, I don’t know if you heard, but a drug dealer was killed this morning.” Chloe began, fixing her neutral gaze on the man in front of her.</p><p>“And what does that have to do with me?” he asked, turning to pour himself a some water from a silver carafe. He didn’t offer them anything.</p><p>Undeterred, Chloe continued: “He had the same exact spinal injury as your son, so it seems an awful lot like someone was out for revenge.”</p><p>“My son worked with a lot of bad people; in fact, Julian wasn’t exactly a good person himself, which is why I had to excise him from my business,“ Tiernan replied coldly, walking over to his curved metal desk to take a seat. “You love your children, but at a certain point you have to let them-“</p><p>Lucifer couldn’t resist interrupting this Dad-worthy level of bullshit. “Stand on their own two legs?” he asked, eager to throw this charlatan off his game. He heard Eve giggle, but Chloe paid his remark no mind. Tiernan shot up quickly from his chair, clearly struggling against his anger.</p><p>“Mr. Tiernan, do you know a man named Greg Grabowski?” Chloe asked, watching closely for his reaction.</p><p>“Goes by the colorful moniker ‘Pony Boy?’” Lucifer snarked, moving closer to his partner as the good cop/bad cop portion of the questioning neared. As expected, Tiernan smoothly denied knowing his hitman.</p><p>He knew the Detective had picked up on his signal, since she gave him a microscopic nod before continuing. “Hm, that’s odd, because one of your companies pays his bills.”</p><p>Tiernan’s lies were pretty standard issue, which made Lucifer even more livid. The man had an assassin on his payroll, and was trying to distract them with accounting details? Lucifer caught the other man’s gaze and held it as he spoke:</p><p>“You kept track of your son though, didn’t you? Which is why you consistently bailed him out of jail, always getting him out of trouble. He never learned, did he? In fact, some might say it’s your fault he became a killer, a human trafficker!”</p><p>The sudden rattle of his glass being slammed down on a nearby table echoed through the room as Tiernan rose and puffed out his chest. He approached Lucifer like a man unused to being questioned about anything.</p><p>“My son had a lot of friends. Maybe one of them decided to make the piece of garbage who crippled him pay!” he said spitefully, matching Lucifer’s rising anger. Good thing he didn’t yet realize he was bantering with the actual Devil.</p><p>“Really? Because I had a little chat with Julian right before he shot a police officer in cold blood. He said that you were an even worse person than he was.” Lucifer replied in kind, suddenly noticing that Eve was by his side. She wound herself around him like a snake, one hand slung over his shoulder and the other stroking his arm.</p><p>“Well,” she purred, almost seductively, “that must make you a true monster.”</p><p>He felt a strong urge to push her away-- Eve didn’t belong on Earth, but Lucifer deluded himself into letting her stay. He was at his lowest point after Chloe's betrayal, but the brunette beauty from long ago had accepted him with open arms.</p><p>Eve’s interjection must’ve broken the tension simmering between the two men, because Tiernan regained his composure, telling them that unless they had cause to charge him, the conversation was finished.</p><p>That was the final straw for Lucifer, who gripped the back of the chair in front of him so hard that the metal started squeaking. “I’m the Devil, Tiernan! I have all the cause I need.” he growled, an inhuman smile spreading across his face. He addressed Chloe without looking at her, still protective of her feelings.</p><p>“Detective, I think it’s time you left so I can do what I do best and punish this man...”</p><p>“Get. Out!” Tiernan barked, and Chloe rose, trying to de-escalate the situation before things spun out of control.</p><p>“Lucifer, he will be punished,” she insisted, joining his other side. She nearly gasped to see the metal chair back twisting out of shape in his anger. “Stop, please stop.” Chloe pleaded in a hushed voice.</p><p>Eve, hearing her perfectly well, tried to escalate Lucifer’s vengeful side anyway, cheering him on as if she was the devil on his shoulder. “Lucifer, do it!”</p><p>For his part, Tiernan had finally come around to the possibility of real danger. He was on a hair’s edge of losing control, yelling at them about lawyers and security, while Lucifer kept telling Chloe to leave the room.</p><p>But out of nowhere, she grabbed his wrist firmly, and simply said “Stop.”</p><p>Suddenly, all of his resolve melted away, leaving only a sense of impotence behind. He released his death grip on the chair. “This isn’t over!” Lucifer growled at Tiernan, his voice shaking in anger. With Eve following not too far behind, he stalked out of the room.</p><p>Out of all the emotions swirling through his brain, the thing Lucifer didn’t want to think about most was how a simple touch from the Detective took all of the fire out of his blood. He could still feel the warmth from her hand on his wrist, and when Eve moved to hold that same hand, he quickly pulled away, muttering apologies.</p><p>————————————</p><p> </p><p>Chloe</p><p>The scene at Tiernan’s office kept flashing through my brain as I drove back to the station. If I’d had any lingering doubt about Eve’s terrible influence on Lucifer, it was torn to shreds by what I’d just witnessed.</p><p>How had everything gone to hell so quickly? The Lucifer I’d known for years bore zero resemblance to the Devil who all but sprouted horns and a forked tail in front of our main suspect. As a result, Tiernan could spend endless amounts of money on a legal battle unless we got some solid evidence tying him to Sam Zofrelli's murder.</p><p>My heart also ached at the thought of someone harming Trixie. What was the best way to keep her safe? Dan needed to know about Eve’s threat to her life, since she was probably safer with him than me. I needed a plan of action first, or else he’d flip out, impeding the investigation or even putting our jobs on the line.</p><p>There was always the option to move us to my mom’s beach house, and to ask Maze to watch out for Trixie during school hours. Even if we weren’t on the best of terms, I knew Maze cared deeply about my daughter, demon or not.</p><p>A few traffic lights down, I could already see the police station looming; it was time to call on my friends for help. First on my list was Linda. Hopefully she could at least guide me in how to reason with, or at least placate, humanity’s first woman.</p><p>She answered her cell phone on the first ring, sounding as stressed out as I felt.</p><p>“Linda, is everything ok?” I asked, after she let out a “I’m slowly going insane” sort of groan. Maybe her pregnancy was making her really uncomfortable— after all, who knew what gestating a half angel baby was supposed to feel like?</p><p>“Oh, everything’s fine, Chloe. I’m just having a Maze issue— since she moved in here, she’s decided that she won’t leave my side until the baby comes. That’s months from now!” she moaned miserably.</p><p>“Well, I think I have a solution for you,” I said, laughing weakly. “I need to ask her if she’ll guard Trixie while she’s not with me or Dan.”</p><p>“Chloe, what’s going on? Are you guys ok?” she asked, dropping all of her stress to focus on me. I briefly considered the ethics of confiding in Lucifer’s therapist, but she was my friend and I was in a dire situation. I blew a breath out shakily, tears unexpectedly welling up.</p><p>“I found out just a couple of hours ago that I’m #1 on Eve’s shit list. She literally threatened to use Pierce’s crime network to harm Trixie— well, both of us, really...” I confessed, glad to finally be able to tell someone the crazy story.</p><p>“I have a feeling I know what your answer will be, but did she give you any reason for her anger?” Linda asked slowly, looking for the right words.</p><p>“She blames me for her son’s death AND thinks I’m trying to steal Lucifer from her! I admit that I’ve had some jealous feelings about the two of them, but I hope you know I’d never-“ I tried to explain myself, but Linda interrupted me with a sigh.</p><p>“Of course you wouldn’t! I wish it was the first time, but I’ve seen some pretty insane jumps in logic from our celestial friends over the years,” she told me, and I sighed in agreement. “Threatening someone with harm is a serious problem though, Chloe. You have to tell Lucifer.”</p><p>“There's so much at stake, and I don’t know if he’d even believe me at this point,” I admitted sadly, pulling my car into a space in the precinct parking lot. “I don’t want to interfere in his new relationship. Maybe if I keep my distance, Eve won’t feel so threatened. Nothing is more important to me than Trixie’s safety, Linda.” I told her firmly, and I knew she understood.</p><p>“Why do you think he won’t believe you? He came back to your partnership, after all. There are so many ways a person can communicate their trust without saying the words.” Linda pointed out, urging me to reconsider.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right, I should tell him. But how on earth can I do it without her noticing? She’s been riding along with us all day and she’s glued to his side.” I grumbled as I got out of the car, shifting my phone between my ear and shoulder.</p><p>“A good distraction might work...” she offered, and suddenly the perfect idea popped into my head.</p><p>“You’re a genius! I know what to do now, thank you Linda!” I almost shouted into the phone, grabbing it and hanging up before sending a quick stream of texts.</p><p> </p><p>By the time I got back to the bullpen, Ella had already sprung into action. Just like we planned, she gathered everyone we needed into the conference room, and when I came in she gave me a discreet thumbs up. I'd never seen her so excited-- you'd think we were staging some kind of elaborate sting operation.</p><p>“Ok,” I said to everyone, planting my hands on the conference table. “Pony Boy’s testimony gave us info we can use to link Jacob Tiernan to the murder— we just have to figure out which part to use.” I began, motioning for Dan to set up the slide projector.</p><p>“We’ve got photos from the crime scene AND Sam’s personal phone to compare for evidence, and then there’s additional forensic material we can analyze in the lab.” Ella explained, setting out our options.</p><p>“Wait, but does that mean we don’t get to punish anybody? Honey, you promised!” Eve piped up, causing everyone to look back at where she was perched on the table right by Lucifer’s chair. At least he had the grace to look away from the group, since what she was saying sounded insane. I looked desperately to Ella for help.</p><p>“Hey, Eve, remember the cool gold flakes from this morning? Well I’ve got some more kickass evidence I can show you in the lab...” Ella said with a grin, appealing to Eve’s innate curiosity. It worked like a charm.</p><p>“Luce, I’m gonna check out Ella’s lab and help solve this case. See you in a few!” she announced cheerfully, hopping off the table and pecking him on the cheek before they left.</p><p>“Wow, that’s one intense girl you’ve got there, man!” Dan said with raised eyebrows, shaking his head as he clicked our first image onto the screen. I glanced at Lucifer’s quickly to gauge his reaction, but he remained oddly silent, mouth set in a firm line.</p><p>“Anyway, I think we’re most likely looking for a personal object or something that Sam had with him before his murder. We might need to comb through a few weeks’ worth of photos, since we don’t know when Julian started trying to pay off his drug debts.” I told them both, hoping Lucifer could focus. The sooner we got this murder solved the better, for Trixie’s safety.</p><p>“Oh hey guys, I totally forgot about another box of Sam’s personal effects I was looking through earlier. I’ll grab 'em.” Dan said suddenly, and he popped back out to the bullpen.</p><p>This felt like my chance.</p><p>“Uh, hey Lucifer? I’ve got something I need to tell you, while we have the room.” I said as calmly as I could, crossing the room to shut the door.</p><p>“What’s on your mind, Detective?” he asked with a weary tone, and as he turned toward me, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes for the first time. He was slumped in his chair, too-- come to think of it, I hadn’t heard any of his usual quips or stupid jokes all day.</p><p>“I’m sorry to bother you with this, especially since you’re looking so tired,” I started, and his posture straightened as he looked at me with surprise and hurt.</p><p>“My my, you have excellent timing, Detective. Now is the perfect time to rub it in— I knew Eve shouldn’t be part of this investigation, but I bollixed it up. You'll have to forgive me for being so tired, but there are things going on that you know nothing about!” he told me, venom on his tongue. He was already halfway out of his seat by the time I could gather my courage.</p><p>“No Lucifer, it’s Trixie! Today at the elevators, while you were on the phone, Eve threatened to hurt her if I didn’t get out of your life!” I said desperately, words tumbling out of my mouth with zero finesse.</p><p>“What? That’s ridiculous, as she’s barely taller than the child herself!” he scoffed, completely missing the point. So I marched over to him, grabbed him by the wrists, and looked directly into his eyes. </p><p>"She was talking about the Sinnerman network. Apparently, they know about Eve and they're willing to help her. Please, Lucifer, find out what's going on-- I can't even bear the thought of losing her..." I barely got the last sentence out before I collapsed onto the chair in front of me, tears streaming down my face. </p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. No Apologies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We're getting into the home stretch, people! I'm committed to getting this done before Aug 21, but unlike Lucifer, I sometimes lie ;)</p><p>In this chapter, Chloe and Lucifer come to an understanding as they start making plans, Eve shows a bit of her crazier side, and Dan says some hurtful things. </p><p>Thank you so much for sticking with me through this labor of love! ENJOY!</p>
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    <p>Lucifer had never seen Chloe cry so openly before, and it wrecked him. He watched silently as fat tears rolled down her cheeks, the sounds of heaving sobs catching in her throat. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, as he wasn’t quite sure what she’d want him to do, if anything.</p><p>He thought back to some things Linda explained over the years about humanity’s need to cry: shedding tears provides a valve for an outpouring of feelings and stress, and giving into that need is an entirely healthy process; in fact, she’d said, a good cry often leads to a deeper understanding of one’s emotions. </p><p>But when Chloe looked at him, glassy eyed and blotchy, instinct took over completely. He needed to comfort her, so Lucifer decided to go for his first reaction, dropping to his knees in front of her chair and wrapping his arms around her. To his immense relief, she melted into him and heaved a great sigh, resting her cheek against his shoulder. </p><p>It was such a simple gesture, but that hug felt like the reestablishment of communication between them; a line that had been frayed and nearly broken for months. This just felt right, and so unimaginably easy.</p><p>The fact that her noisy sniffling meant he’d likely emerge from this with a messy jacket was something he tried to move to the back of his mind. Instead, Lucifer reached into his breast pocket and passed her his best loved pocket squares. Her tiny hum of appreciation made any future goopiness worth it.</p><p>It was as if his heart had cracked wide open—just as Father Frank described it years ago—but in a happy way. Chloe was the kindest, smartest, most special, most dear person in his universe. Why was he only remembering this now? </p><p>Ah yes: Devil face, Rome, Kinley, betrayal, poison, Eve. A damning list for sure, but now all of it felt hollow and distant. Keeping Chloe and the child safe was paramount.</p><p>“Ugh, I’m sorry— I have no idea where that came from.” Chloe said, looking embarrassed while she quickly grabbed a wad of tissues from the box nearby and took a few deep breaths. He rose from the floor to take a seat next to her.</p><p>“Detective, you owe me no apologies. You have every right to be apoplectic over something as grievous as a threat to your daughter! We are going to fix this, I promise.” Lucifer insisted, more than ready to investigate whatever had gone pear-shaped with Eve. </p><p>How did this happen right under his nose? He felt angry fear bubbling toward the surface every time he thought about what she could be planning, but he forced himself to choke it back like bile in this throat. He needed to stay focused. </p><p>“Thank you, Lucifer, for understanding; and for being here.” she replied softly, and to his surprise, she reached out and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, and he waited for her to let go first. Chloe’s touch felt almost overwhelming to his senses; of course, it could just be the adrenaline running through his veins, preparing for action, but deep inside he knew the way she’d always affected him. </p><p>“Right, well everyone will be back in a minute or two, so we don’t have time to discuss this thoroughly at the moment,” Lucifer said gently, and Chloe nodded with a last sniffle. “I’ll shoot a text to Maze and get her over here to collect Eve, then we’ll be free to talk wherever you’d like.” he offered, while trying to think of ways to get Eve back where she belonged. </p><p>“Would you like me to ask Linda and Amenadiel to join us?”  Could Amenadiel simply take Eve back to Heaven? He had no clue, but it was worth asking. </p><p>“Yeah, I think we can use all the help we can get. I’m going to run to the bathroom and throw cold water on my face. I really don’t want anyone here knowing about this yet, yeah?” she told him, rising from her chair a little shakily. He was up in an instant, reaching to her shoulders to steady her in case she needed it. She smiled in the most endearing way, even rolling her eyes jokingly as she stepped out if the room.</p><p>Lucifer sat back down and took out his phone to text his brother and send instructions to Maze. He thought for a moment about what to say, and whether he could trust her. Hell’s finest torturer hadn’t demonstrated a good track record for reliability over the past few months, but he knew Mazikeen would do anything to protect those she cared about, especially the Detective’s offspring. </p><p>LM: Maze, need you to swing by precinct for Eve, then bring her to PH. She has betrayed us, and we need you to keep her distracted. Be discreet. Can you handle ASAP?</p><p>Dan came back into the room with a full evidence file as Lucifer hit send, launching the plan into action. </p><p>“What’s going on? Where’s Chloe?” he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. This was the part Lucifer hadn’t really thought through: how to handle Detective Douche.</p><p>“Keep your shirt on, Daniel, she’s just gone to the ladies’.” Lucifer told him, trying to keep their traditional hostility out of it. Dan looked skeptical, so Lucifer kept talking. </p><p>“She did make plans, though. The Detective decided that she and I will go out in search of some additional evidence; you and Miss Lopez will stay here and continue looking for anything tying Tiernan to the dead drug dealer. Alright?” he asked, trying to placate the other man.</p><p>“No, not alright!” Dan said, bristling as he stepped further into the room. “First of all, I want to check this with Chloe because I don’t trust you, Lucifer. It’s like you live in a bubble, where you don’t face consequences and she takes you back every time! You have no idea how much your crap has hurt her over the past few months; and let me tell you, if you think you can just leave your girlfriend here with us while you take...“ he sputtered, bringing his hands to his head in frustration and disbelief. </p><p>Lucifer took advantage of his loss for words to give Dan a cold stare, combining his desire to shame the man in front of him with his own self-hatred and regret for selfishly throwing Eve into their lives. </p><p>“If you want to wait for the Detective, that’s fine. If you’ve taken issue with my conduct these past few months, I would probably agree. But don’t delude yourself into thinking our situations are in any way similar. I don’t imagine you’ll ever really be forgiven for Palmetto Street, do you, Daniel?” he said with a quiet malice, stoking the embers of Dan’s guilt over his numerous marital and parental failures. </p><p>“Fuck you, Lucifer.” Dan choked out bitterly, hanging his head and turning away.</p><p>Lucifer let the harsh reality of his words sink in and gave Dan some space to marinate in his own thoughts. Just then, his phone buzzed with a reply from Maze:</p><p>MS: WTF happened with Eve? Sounds juicy, I’m on it. You’re lucky you caught me before my next job called in. Give me 20 minutes.</p><p>“Hey guys, any new developments in here?” </p><p>They heard Chloe’s voice before she saw them: Lucifer faced away from his adversary, fire dangerously close to blazing in his eyes; Dan was braced against the table, almost pitched forward from the torment visible on his face and in his tightly coiled stance. </p><p>Her jaw slackened in disbelief, but she recovered quickly, pushing her way into the conference room to stand in front of them. Pissed off was a mild description for Chloe’s facial expression.</p><p>“Is this seriously happening? I don’t know what to do with the two of you! Dan, you’re a cop, you should be able to conduct yourself in a professional manner at work.” she chided crossly, bringing her ex-husband out of his stupor. He avoided her gaze, pretending to poke at a crack in the floor with his shoe.</p><p>“And you! Stop it with the righteous fury!” Chloe exclaimed, turning her attention to the other guilty party. “I thought we were all past this point—we need to work together, especially today!” she said, shaking her head with disappointment written across her face. Any trace of fire left his eyes as he nodded, chastened.</p><p>Chloe took one more deep breath, making sure both men were under control before she continued. “Alright, glad we got that settled at least! So we'll go, and you comb through Sam’s photos, ok?” she told Dan one last time, heading back out while gesturing for her partner to hurry up.</p><p>Dan let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding after they left the room, eventually turning his attention back to the evidence. Why did he feel like Chloe was hiding something from him?</p><p>Their next task was telling Eve they were leaving, which Lucifer thought would go better if he went in alone. Chloe agreed, heading down to wait in the car. </p><p>Lucifer rapped his knuckles against the door of Ella’s lab to get her attention. Going in, he saw the two of them bent over her newest obsession: a high tech facial reconstruction computer program the department<br/>
had recently acquired. Ella was busy explaining the details of a human jaw to an enraptured Eve when he caught their attention. </p><p>“Hey, buddy! You’re just in time for my big presentation on mandibular reconstruction!” Ella announced with a brilliant smile, trying to draw him into the room.</p><p>“As fascinating as that sounds, I’m going to have to take a rain check. I also need to borrow this one,” he apologized, pointing to Eve, who brightened like a megawatt bulb.</p><p>“Are we going to punish the nasty guy now?!” she asked excitedly, heading straight over to his side. “I’m ready to watch you make that guy squirm...” she added, grabbing his forearm and squeezing with both hands. </p><p>“Sadly, no. At least not right now, Eve,” he replied, aware of Ella’s watchful gaze. The corners of Eve’s mouth turned down as she let go of his arm.<br/>
“Actually, I came to tell you that I’m needed on a different fact-finding part of the case, and we’re off right now. I buzzed Maze to come over to pick you up— this next part will be dreadfully boring, and you’ll have much more fun this way.” he promised her, with a dazzling smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. </p><p>Eve took the news with profound disappointment. “But Lucifer, you promised I’d get to see a real live punishment!” she said with some bite in her tone, crossing her arms after poking him fairly hard in the center of his chest. </p><p>“Was the other night not grisly enough, darling?” Lucifer asked, fake smiling through his alarm, realizing Eve might spill the beans on what he did to Julian. </p><p>Eve just looked up at him and rolled her eyes. “I could barely see what happened because it was so dark, Luce! The sound of bones breaking was pretty amazing, but I thought surely we’d be able to do something more creative with the dad.” she huffed, not noticing the shocked expression on Ella’s face. She hadn’t been told about Eve’s darker side, and was caught unawares.</p><p>By this point. Ella was gesticulating wildly at Lucifer, every facial expression confirming to him how psycho Eve sounded. He gave her a signal to stop before trying to beckon Eve along. “Now darling, you’ll have a great time with Maze! Perhaps she can take you to her favorite underground fighting club; you’ll definitely see muscled chaps and blood, and it’s very illegal...” he promised, glad to see her smile return. She thanked Ella, waving happily before leaving.</p><p>Lucifer took one last look over his shoulder before they left the lab, and immediately regretted it: his blood ran cold when he saw Ella’s profound shock and horror. Yet another friend terrified of his darker side, he thought sadly, leading Eve away.</p><p>xxx</p><p>Maze arrived right on time, perched on her motorcycle— Eve instantly decided was SO much more exciting than Lucifer’s car. Maze’s evil grin stretched across her face at the compliment, handing Eve a helmet and telling her to hold on tight during the ride. </p><p>“So you’ll get in touch when it’s time to take down the bad guy?” Eve asked, cupping Lucifer’s face and bringing him down to her level for a scorching kiss. It was lovely, but now it almost felt wrong.</p><p>Since he never lied, he just smiled and told them to have fun, and he watched as they raced off into the evening. </p><p> </p><p>When he got down to the garage, Chloe was already parked by the elevator, busy on her phone. Lucifer walked around to the driver’s side and tapped on the window just as she ended her call. She opened it up to say hello, and he felt his heart soar when she smiled. </p><p>No, there definitely wasn’t any woman on Earth who compared to Chloe Decker. </p><p>Feeling emboldened by her positive response, he stuck his hand out, wiggling his fingers in a grabby motion. “Please let me do the driving. You’ve got a lot on your mind, and since Amenadiel will be at your place any minute, I think you’ll agree today isn’t the day for obeying speed limits.” </p><p>Chloe opened the door to switch sides without complaint, and slid into the passenger seat with determination on her face. They were a team again, and together they could protect Trixie from Heaven, Hell and anywhere in between. It was the lightest she’d felt in months.</p><p>Lucifer made sure she was buckled, started the engine and prepared to back out of the space. Seeing his hand on the gearshift, Chloe lightly brushed her fingertips over his knuckles, just for a moment. She turned to Lucifer and smiled, giving him an appreciative nod.</p><p>“You’re right, let’s get the hell outta here.”</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Connecting Threads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hi all! Season 5a was pretty great, huh? It was so hard to get back into the right headspace for this story, but it finally happened ☺️</p><p>Lucifer and Chloe’s search for Eve’s Sinnerman connection leads them to unexpected places. Amenadiel answers some celestial questions.</p><p>This one’s crammed with feelings, so be prepared :) There’s a description of a panic attack, but it’s over pretty quickly. </p><p>Hope you enjoy! If you feel like it, please send me your thoughts— thanks so much for reading! ❤️</p>
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    <p>Chloe</p><p>As Lucifer drove us to my house, I settled back into the passenger seat and closed my eyes, savoring the comfort I felt at having my partner back at my side. </p><p>What was the harm in taking some time to relax a little, before spending hours figuring out the best way to deal with a woman who wanted to hurt me?</p><p>“Enjoying yourself there, Detective? Maybe I should try kicking back on the way to our next crime scene.” he teased after a few minutes of silence. Without even opening my eyes I flipped him the bird, and his familiar chuckle made me feel warm inside.</p><p>“Oh shut up, Lucifer. I’m just trying to clear my head a little before the next stage of Operation Sinnerman: Part Two.” I quipped with a smile, trying to make it sound like an action movie. He sighed deeply in response, so I opened my eyes and sat up, wondering what was wrong.</p><p>“As exciting as that film would undoubtedly be, Detective, I want to apologize again for all of the celestial calamity I’ve brought into your life. None of it would’ve happened if I hadn’t sweet talked my way into becoming your partner.” he said, his voice so full of regret and self-loathing that I reached over and grabbed his free hand impulsively.</p><p>“Lucifer, that’s not what I meant at all! We’re in this together, and even with all of the craziness we’ve gone through lately, I’d still choose you.” I told him with all of the conviction I had, tired of walking on eggshells. The smile that played on his lips was warm and sincere, but still a little guarded. He had every right to feel that way.</p><p>Of course he did; we’d both had lapses in judgment on the rocky road of our partnership (never mind the creepy fact that we’d dated a mother and her son), but now we stood on equal footing. No more pedestals.</p><p>“I do know, Detective, and I feel the same.” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road as he adjusted the grip of my hand in his, interlacing our fingers. I looked down with surprise, feeling my face heat up.</p><p>Not registering my emotions, he continued: “While it would be easier for us if Amenadiel could just fly Eve back to the Silver City, I’m doubtful that’s a possibility. Dad isn’t really big on second chances.” Lucifer said grimly, no explanation necessary.</p><p>“Well, any way that she leaves is fine by me, just as long as Trixie is safe. I just wish we could find out who she’s in contact with. I pulled the case files before we left, but there’s so little info to go off of.” I groused, and he nodded in understanding. He gave my hand a final squeeze before placing his back on the steering wheel.</p><p>After Pierce’s death, the big brass at LAPD had no interest in letting the Sinnerman details get too public, so our internal records were very vague. What little info we possessed was full of holes and completely useless.</p><p>“Remind me, how many of those bastards from old Ham Hands’ crew did we wind up throwing in jail?” he asked, making the turn onto my street.</p><p>“It was only that one guy, John Barrow, who Dan and Ella brought in. The rest of his known men were killed, either by Maze or in their attack on you.” I told him, and slowly my mind filled with scenes from that day: Pierce’s threats, the pain from the bullet making contact with my Kevlar covered chest, bloody white feathers, the shock of seeing the Devil wearing Lucifer’s suit....</p><p>I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that came surging forward, and I broke out in a cold sweat, my pulse pounding in my ears. “I need to get out of the car, Lucifer!” I cried in a shaky voice, scrambling to hold onto the dashboard while fighting the urge to hyperventilate. </p><p>Lucifer looked concerned, but he recognized what was happening immediately. Without a word he parked in a random space outside my building, opening up all the windows. As fresh air flooded in, he offered his hand back, which I gripped tightly. I felt my facial muscles scrunch up even as I tried to ease my swirling thoughts.</p><p>“Chloe, can you try breathing deeply? In through your nose, out through your mouth. Yes, that’s perfect, Detective.” he said calmly, encouraging me. I did several rounds, allowing the feelings and images to pass. As my heart rate slowed, I opened my eyes and bit my lower lip nervously as I gave him a nod, assuring him that I was ok.</p><p>“That’s never happened to me before! Lucifer, how did you know what it was?”</p><p>“Congratulations, Chloe Decker, you just had your first panic attack!” he quipped, imitating an American game show host. His smile melted when he saw the distress in my eyes.</p><p>“I learned all about them from Linda. Trust me, Detective, I know how much pain you must be feeling about those memories. It was a terrible day for both of us, for so many reasons.” he said softly, and the sad softness of his expression kept me in thrall. </p><p>I looked into his eyes and really saw him, for the first time since that day. Memories of our years working together mixed with the countless times we’d cared for each other over the years. It was almost too intense to think about.</p><p>“You saved me that day, Lucifer, and I never thanked you. Instead, I got...overwhelmed and it just never happened, but I want you to know.” I admitted, casting my eyes down. But instead of pulling away as he would have in the past, he lifted my chin up gently, remaining quiet and still for a few moments. </p><p>Our eyes locked again, and I felt an unfamiliar pull into his gravitational orbit— maybe it’s what his “mojo” felt like for everyone else?</p><p>“Chloe, you don’t need to thank me. It is I who should thank you, for so many things. I never want you to feel in my debt, EVER, but we can talk about that later.” he murmured, and then his hand moved from my chin to my cheek and we were kissing. I reached up to hold one side of his face, feeling stubble tickling my palm as he let me decide whether to deepen the kiss or not. </p><p>I wanted to, I really did, but my phone rang shrilly, abruptly ending our moment. After we parted Lucifer turned to look out his window, expression inscrutable. “It’s Ella,” I warned him, moving to put the phone into speaker mode.</p><p>“Chloe, where are you guys? Actually, it doesn’t matter, just pull over!” she practically yelped, which meant they had something big. I shook my head fondly at her excitement, looking over to Lucifer to roll my eyes, but he was still faced away. </p><p>“Ok, you guys can tell us now!” I urged them, and I swear I heard them giggle.</p><p>“So Ella and I were looking through Sam’s photos, trying to find something of value that Tiernan might want back, like cars or jewelry,” Dan began, but Ella couldn’t resist taking over.</p><p>“You were right on the money about family heirlooms, because we found a photo of Sam wearing a signet ring. There’s very fancy scrollwork on it, but you can definitely tell it’s a T! We were able to time stamp it from the day before the murder, so all we have to do is prove Tiernan has it now!!!” she exclaimed, breathless. Lucifer and I looked at each other, gobsmacked. It was a fantastic find.</p><p>“Nice work guys! Since we’re on the road, why don’t you file for a warrant, Dan. After that comes through, we can-“ I was midway through my plan when Lucifer cut me off unexpectedly. </p><p>“Let us call you back in one moment, Daniel, and wait on that warrant!” he said in a breezy voice, then hung up the call before I could get a word in edgewise.</p><p>“What the hell, Lucifer?” I sputtered, completely confused by what he’d just done.</p><p>“What the hell indeed! Unless you’re ready to fill Detective Douche in on the whole Eve-Urchin situation, it’s probably best that we consult Amenadiel first, don’t you agree?” he asked, looking both pained and exasperated at the same time. </p><p>“You’re right, I wasn’t thinking— better to get our ducks in a row first.” I admitted, knowing that I’d jumped to the more familiar territory of casework instead of focusing on our more urgent celestial issue. </p><p> In the end, we decided to have Dan file the warrant request, giving us the time to brainstorm all of our options with Amenadiel. The angel in question was already standing by my door, intimidating and straight-backed like a bouncer at Lux.</p><p>“Chloe! Always so nice to see you, though I wish it was under better circumstances. How are you doing?” he asked, his expression immediately turning warm and comforting.</p><p>“Under the circumstances, I’m doing ok. Thank you so much for coming, Amenadiel. I hope we haven’t kept you waiting.” I replied, giving his arm a fond squeeze as I unlocked my door. I could hear Lucifer mumbling something to his brother in the background, and it didn’t sound too friendly. </p><p>“Amenadiel, how can you know what Father wants if you won’t bloody talk to him? This isn’t some frivolous ask— it’s her life!” Lucifer exploded, marching through the entryway and into my living room. I watched the two of them cautiously.</p><p>“Luci, you and I both know that human life may not be frivolous to us, but it’s not as easy to justify in the Silver City!” Amenadiel told his brother, clearly uncomfortable having to say such a blunt truth in front of me. I let out an involuntary gasp, but tried to stifle it by clapping a hand over my mouth. My mind went into overdrive:</p><p>Did God and the other angels (who I hadn’t believed existed until very recently) not care if I lived or died? What did that mean? Was I going to Hell? In my fear, I turned to look at Lucifer, hoping he’d say something to comfort me. No such luck, if course, since he was currently staring daggers at Amenadiel. </p><p>“Brother, you couldn’t even get in to talk to Him, could you? What happened, did one of our lovely siblings block the door?” Lucifer accused in a cold, jeering tone. He stalked over to me, as if to block me protectively. I pushed him out of my way, annoyed.</p><p>“You can insult me as much as you want, Lucifer, but it won’t change anything: Michael was sent to tell me that Eve will be barred from returning to Heaven; and when her time comes, Chloe might be denied entry from her association with you.” Amenadiel told us, and both brothers hung their heads in defeat.</p><p>Then, he turned to face me, and murmured “I’m so sorry, Chloe.” A moment of hush fell over the room as they waited for me to say something, but there wasn’t much to say. </p><p>“It’s ok, Amenadiel. I know you tried-“ I started to say, but was interrupted by an almost feral yell from Lucifer, who was tugging on his hair, eyes wild.</p><p>“NO, damn it! You can’t trust Michael— you can’t trust any of them! If they won’t take Eve, we need to get her away so her goons can’t harm the Detective!” Lucifer said angrily, almost vibrating in frustration. I reached out to touch his forearm, seeing his fists clenching and unclenching. </p><p>“Lucifer, it’s okay. Let’s figure out a solution for what’s happening now, and deal with the rest of it later.” I soothed, and luckily he relaxed. I wished I could hug him. Instead, I kept my hand in his arm, finding that the connection was keeping me grounded too.</p><p>“Alright: we’ve established that Eve is Earthbound for now, so it’s crucial that she give us the names of the men she’s working with. I wouldn’t mind meting out a bit more punishment tonight.” Lucifer said darkly, and I saw more than a flash of red in his eyes.</p><p>Amenadiel and I exchanged worried glances. The violence and vengeance-seeking needed to end, or Lucifer was going to lose his tenuous hold on abiding human law. I was about to voice my concerns when Lucifer’s phone buzzed with another text from Maze. </p><p>He glanced down and read, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Maze pocketed Eve’s phone on her way to the ladies’ and found only one unnamed number. She called, but it went to voicemail!” he revealed, practically begging us to ask for the information. </p><p>“You’re enjoying this way too much. What gives?” I asked, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes at his immaturity. He looked as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.</p><p>“Maze reached the voicemail of the one and only Greg Grabowski, aka Ponyboy. Shall we visit his cell?”</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Divergent Paths</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hello readers: We’ve reached the penultimate chapter, so Eve’s story is about to reach its end! </p><p>How will Lucifer and Chloe deal with their issues? Will Maze betray yet again? Is anyone heading to Hell? </p><p>By the way: I’m so excited to almost reach 10k hits for the first time! I appreciate your support so much! Always feel free to leave me thoughts in the comments :) ❤️</p>
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    <p>As much as Eve enjoyed watching the unrestrained and sweaty brawling between the men in the octagonal ring, and as fun it was speeding around LA on Maze’s motorcycle, she couldn’t ignore the warning bells clanging in her head. </p><p>Somewhere on the edge of her awareness, Eve could sense that something was happening with Chloe Decker—but how could she intuit what it was? If the Detective figured out Eve’s plans, the consequences could be catastrophic for her relationship with Lucifer. If it came down to a choice, she thought with alarm, what would happen if he didn’t choose her?</p><p>Was it possible that he could prefer that dull, serious woman? Had Eve not done enough, could she have been more open to indulging his every need? Even though she knew the power of her own beauty and allure, Eve felt jealousy and fear surging in her blood.</p><p>Throughout her long existence, Eve always connected well with her fellow humans, and they sought her out for her counsel and wisdom. At different points she was celebrated as a soothsayer, an oracle, or a priestess. Pilgrims journeyed for her to bless their children’s births, and as she grew older and older, they came seeking comfort about death. Even in Heaven, new souls were shocked when she began asking questions at the Gates because her story was so well known. They just assumed she had all of humanity’s knowledge at her fingertips. </p><p>It was their encouragement, their faith in her, that led her to the realization that she could determine her own happiness. As her confidence grew, her resentment towards both Adam and their Maker began to fester. </p><p>That’s when she began to think about better times, like when she and Lucifer were together in the Garden. Soon, fantasies of him consumed her mind, and she became obsessed with the idea of seeing him again. When she found him, amazingly living in the same city as Cain, it seemed like a miracle.</p><p>So when one of the angels, shrouded in a cloak to hide his identity, showed her the mysterious “side door exit” to Earth, of course she gladly took the leap.</p><p>One of the best things about this return visit was the ability to experience life as a young, energetic woman again. That sense of freedom empowered her to crave adventure, to seek out every tempting vice; and most importantly, it was why Lucifer was the perfect guide. His devotion to pleasure in all forms, his raw magnetism, his disregard for the rules: Lucifer, quite literally, represented everything she desired. </p><p>But he was pulling away, even though she’d done everything to make herself indispensable in his life. She tried to ignore it and hoped the feeling would pass, but the gnawing sense that she was fighting a losing battle didn’t let up. </p><p>“Maze? I think I’m ready to get back to Lucifer now!”  she said loudly, tapping Maze on the shoulder. The demon turned around with a look of pure glee, completely absorbed in watching the fights. </p><p>“Are you serious?” Maze screeched, her face flushed in excitement. “The bald one is about to tear the other guy’s ear off, I can feel it...” </p><p>“But we can always come back, whenever you want! I promise I’ll come with you...please?” Eve cajoled, putting on her most sultry pout. She knew Maze was attracted to her, just as much as any human. </p><p>Sure enough, Mazikeen relented, standing up from the bench with a loud string of swear words. “The things I do for Lucifer.” she grunted, gesturing for Eve to follow. </p><p>“For Lucifer? What do you mean?” Eve asked innocently, feeling like Maze was about to drop some important information. Once they reached the exit elevator, Maze stopped, gazing lustily at Eve as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.</p><p>“Oh, Eve, you’re so delicious,” she sighed, taking Eve’s arm as she muscled their way into the jammed cabin. “I don’t know why in hell he’d let you go, especially for Decker. She’s so boring and responsible, and she has so many rules...” Maze revealed, not realizing what she’d said while continuing to rattle off a list of her former roommate’s negative attributes. </p><p>Eve tried to keep any trace of emotion off her face, so she made a fist with one hand, digging her fingernails into her palm. As she contemplated Maze’s words, the pain from her nails slicing into her skin mirrored the pain in her heart. She couldn’t go back to the same old afterlife, and she wouldn’t let go of the best thing to happen to her in millennia without a fight. </p><p>By the time they bustled out of the crowded elevator and into the fresh evening air, Eve had the beginnings of a plan etched out in her mind. It was a little crazy, but since her latest calls to the Sinnerpeople had gone unanswered (thanks for nothing, Greg, she’d muttered bitterly to the man on the voicemail), she had too few options left. </p><p>She caught up to Maze and put on her flirtiest smile, linking their elbows together as she leaned in close to the demon’s ear.</p><p>“I’ve always loved those curved blades of yours. How about we head back to the penthouse, and you can show me how to use them?”</p><p> </p><p>——————————-<br/>
By the time Lucifer and Chloe arrived back at the precinct, Dan already had Tiernan’s favorite hitman in the interrogation room. Chloe charged in and slammed her hands down on the desk. She was pissed off.</p><p>“I can’t believe we get to see you again so soon, Mr. Grabowski! Apparently you were brought in today for extortion, but you’ve got much bigger problems, my friend.” she practically snarled, causing the man cuffed to the table in front of her to gape at her in surprise. She didn’t usually play the “bad cop” role, but it was really helping her manage the stress coiled in her belly.</p><p>After a questioning glance at Lucifer, who was standing in the corner, Dan continued the interrogation: “Listen, if you don’t help us take down who really killed Sam Zofrelli, well; it was your golden gun used in the murder, so you might be looking pretty damn good for that too.” </p><p>The man known as Pony Boy looked down at his manacled wrists and sighed deeply. </p><p>“Look, I wanted to be the one who killed Sam because I love Julian like a brother. But the kid’s an idiot, and he owed Sam a lot of money.”</p><p>“And that’s why Jacob Tiernan thought Sam was the one to break Julian’s spine?” Chloe asked, irritated. It was excruciating having to wait until their perp’s most vulnerable moment to bring up his Sinnerman connection, but she and Lucifer already agreed to this strategy.</p><p>“Basically. Tiernan wouldn’t give Julian any money to pay his debts to Sam. So Julian had to give whatever he could: his car, watch, family heirlooms...It pissed Tiernan off but he still loved the kid.” Pony Boy explained, glancing nervously at Lucifer. He looked back with a sinister grin and a mock salute.</p><p>“Oh Daniel, would you mind giving us a moment alone with the suspect, please?” Lucifer asked smoothly, striding over to the desk. Dan looked to Chloe, who nodded her assent. </p><p>Once he left, Chloe stepped out briefly to make sure that no one was watching through the two-way mirror, then rejoined her partner. </p><p>“So, Pony Boy, you’ve been quite the busy little criminal lately, eh? Some mild extortion here, a few bit of accessory murder there— all a part of the daily grind, am I right?” Lucifer asked him silkily, taking a seat across from the suspect as he fiddled with his cuff links.</p><p>“Look man, I don’t know what to tell you! I wasn’t there for the hit, but I know that Sam had Tiernan’s family ring, and they had to break his finger to get it off him. Is that enough?” the large man pleaded, sweat beginning to trickle down his face. </p><p>Lucifer’s smile only grew as he delighted in watching his prey squirming in his seat. It would be so easy to squash him like a bug and send him off to Hell early, but that wasn’t the point of today’s torture. He needed Pony Boy to sing like the jailbird he was, at least for now...</p><p>“Dearie me! Who killed him with your charming golden gun, then? Was it Jacob Tiernan?” Lucifer asked, sounding almost gentle. Pony Boy nodded meekly, looking down at the metal tabletop. </p><p>“I’ll go tell Dan we’ve got a confession. You finish with this piece of garbage.” Chloe said, glaring at Pony Boy before she left the room.</p><p>“My pleasure, Detective,” Lucifer replied pleasantly, waiting until the door clicked shut. Then, he spun around to face the interrogation table, all signs of levity gone.</p><p>“Greggie, we’re all alone now, so I need you to look at me and listen carefully.” he continued, feeling a familiar heat coursing through his veins as his voice grew deeper and more menacing. </p><p>“What else do you want from me? I gave you Tiernan, so my number’s gonna be up soon anyway!” Pony Boy said desperately, trying to avoid looking directly at the man opposite him. Lucifer wouldn’t relent, though, grabbing the criminal by the chin and forcing him to look into the Devil’s fiery eyes.</p><p>“Trust me, Pony Boy, you really don’t want to lie to the Devil. Tell me everyone you know who’s associated with The Sinnerman, AND what the woman who’s been asking you for favors wanted, or I’ll see you in Hell!” </p><p> </p><p>Chloe was standing right in front of the doors when Lucifer strolled out, and she could hear the pitiful cries from the man inside. Her partner looked smugly satisfied, but she stared at him impatiently, waiting for confirmation that they had everything they needed.</p><p>“Ahh, it’s been too long since I made a grown man cry.” Lucifer declared, looking offended when Chloe huffed out a frustrated breath.</p><p>“Lucifer, focus! Did he give you the goods on Eve? Can we get this whole thing over with?” she whispered, glancing around nervously. He looked down at her fondly and resisted the urge to bop her on the nose.</p><p>“Detective, I apologize. Yes, we’ve ‘got the goods’ as you said, and seeing as I’m on a roll, I’ll be perfectly happy to give Eve the old celestial heave-ho. It will take some doing, but you won’t even have to lift a finger!” he told her, sure that this arrangement would please her. </p><p>Unfortunately, Chloe didn’t see things the same way, and she dragged him over to the break area to explain in a bit more privacy.</p><p>“That is not what I want! Eve needs to hear this from me— it’s my life and my kid, and I have every right to deal with it however I see fit. Right now, I’m not even sure if I want you there!” she said harshly, and at least he had the good graces to look abashed. </p><p>This time, Lucifer thought for a few beats before speaking, which Chloe appreciated. Maybe he was capable of learning, growing? He put his hands on his hips and furrowed his brow, clearly choosing his words.</p><p>“You’re right, and I’ll let you take the lead. Again, I’m sorry, Detective. I feel entirely responsible for the misery you’ve been put through, so I wanted to be the one to set things right.” he said carefully, addressing the nearby row of mugs so as to avoid looking at her directly. </p><p>When he felt Chloe’s hand on his forearm, he decided it was safe to glance over at her, and he was relieved to see her smiling. “Thank you for that, Lucifer,” she said gratefully, and the little squeeze she gave his arm made him feel vulnerable in a way that he enjoyed, for once. </p><p>All of these human emotions still confounded him most of the time, but he wanted to do the best he could for Chloe. After all, Lucifer couldn’t imagine a future without the Detective by his side. She knew who he was and she accepted him. What greater gift was there?</p><p>“It’s my pleasure, Detective, always.” he replied softly, surprised at how his happiness made his voice a bit shaky. Another side effect of vulnerability, he guessed. </p><p>They stood, just facing each other wordlessly, until Chloe cleared her throat, feeling awkward. “Okay...So I have to go and process the paperwork for Pony Boy’s testimony. It may take awhile, so there’s not much for you to do until Dan arrests and brings Tiernan in. If you want to go, you deserve some downtime at Lux. I’m sure your guests miss you.” she offered gamely, even as she felt a small sting of possessiveness. </p><p>“I’ll go now, but only if you’re willing to make a deal with me,” he teased, bringing a grin to her face. Shaking her head with a light laugh, Chloe crossed her arms, nodding at him to continue. </p><p>“Here it is: once you’ve finished with the vile paperwork, will you drop by my place? I believe I have the perfect celebratory drink in stock, just for you.” </p><p>Before accepting his deal, Chloe took a moment to really look at her partner’s face: his expression was open and hopeful, like he was inviting her over for something more important than a drink. She felt utterly captivated by the earnestness in his eyes, feeling like she was the only person in his world. Chloe wished she could stand there, forever...</p><p>WAIT! There wasn’t time to act like a love-struck puppy— time was of the essence. Regretfully, Chloe tore her eyes away, shook her head to clear her thoughts, and shifted back into cop mode. </p><p>“Yes, I’ll definitely come over to your place for that drink. But we need to earn a celebration, Lucifer; there are a lot of moving pieces in this case, and BIG potential for disaster. Let’s keep in touch and make our decisions together, ok?” she told him, guiding him toward the stairs. </p><p>His face fell a tiny bit, but he nodded in understanding. He stood taller, and began racing up the steps. “I won’t fail you, Detective! As you know, the Devil always-“ he nearly shouted, but Chloe cut him off, putting a finger to her lips to shush her partner. </p><p>“Keeps his word— yes, I know! I’ll see you soon, ok?” she finished one of his favorite phrases, eyes rolling even as she spoke with a loud whisper. Lucifer had paused on the stairs when she interrupted him, but now he stretched his neck to look down at her from over a high banister, and shouted his parting words:</p><p>“Carry on, Detective!”</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Missing Piece, Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Greetings! Here’s part 1 of the last chapter— I got on a writing tear, so the massive last chapter had to be split up. Chloe and Lucifer begin a celestial manhunt, Maze pulls some messed up shit, Dan gets a bit of celestial FYI, and the Tiernan case finally wraps up. Plus, WINGS!</p><p>Now, I’ve been a little experimental with the last two chapters, so if you have thoughts about my rapid POV shifts, it’s very helpful to know. </p><p>Remember, the happy ending is almost here! Thank you so so much for all of your support for this story! ❤️</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the elevator ascended towards his penthouse, Lucifer felt an uncomfortable heaviness bearing down on his soul. Although he knew Eve was too toxic to stay in their lives and why, he didn’t relish the burden of telling her. </p><p>Whether her intentions were born from naïveté or genuine malice, he couldn’t forget that Eve had given him a gift simply by being the first human who accepted his monstrous side. He valued that beyond measure, because it showed him that he could be worthy of more than he ever dared hope. </p><p>Eve came back to Earth for him; no one had ever considered him in that way before- until the Detective, of course- and he truly did want her to find happiness. As a fellow pawn of Dear Old Dad, she deserved to choose her own path.</p><p>Lucifer was already thinking about which strings he could pull to guide her on her way when the elevator opened and he stepped into his home. He was unsurprised to see Maze standing behind his bar, pouring a glass of whisky while she held another in her hand. </p><p>“Maze! Always a pleasure to see my favorite demon,” he greeted her with an easy smile, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the bar. Her expression made her look like a storm cloud ready to burst, and it immediately raised his hackles.</p><p>She finished pouring, slammed the crystal tumbler down and slid it in his direction without a word. He narrowed his eyes at her surliness, but he paused to take a large swallow, sitting down on a nearby bar stool.</p><p>“Thanks for that, though frankly I wish you were in a better mood.” he quipped, though Maze only offered him her stony gaze. His eyes quickly swept the room, but Eve was nowhere to be found. “I trust all went well tonight? Where’s Eve? I need to have a rather uncomfortable talk with her.”</p><p>Maze put her forearms down on the bar, taking a moment to lean in close to her former king. “Maybe you should spend more than a minute thinking about what you’re giving up, Lucifer. Eve’s gonna be a hard act to follow in so many ways,” she teased him, sauntering out from behind the bar to circle her prey.</p><p>His confused expression filled Maze with anticipation of the high she could only get from old fashioned torture. “Do you really think you’ll be content playing house with Decker? I’ve lived with her, and she’s got lots of rules: no sex swings, no orgies, no vices of any kind, and she’s even stricter when the little human’s around. Are you sure she’ll be able to satisfy those insatiable devilish urges of yours, all on her own?”   </p><p>Lucifer narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out why the demon was needling him this way.</p><p>“What are you playing at, Mazikeen? I’ve never needed any help from you in that department!” he tried to laugh her comments off, but there was a shakiness in his voice.</p><p>“But you’re not entirely sure, because you can’t anticipate her desires. That tortures you at night, doesn’t it?” Maze replied, her voice dripping with fake sympathy.</p><p>At that last question, Lucifer, who had been holding his composure admirably, began to crack, bringing all of his insecurities and self-hatred to the surface. The demon could smell his fear, and she let it fill her up.</p><p>“Ok, let’s pretend and say endless vanilla sex totally does it for you,” Maze paused to chuckle, with a tiny Decker-like snort thrown in for extra measure. “Imagine that’s not the problem. What if Decker wants more than YOU can give?” </p><p>His breath hitched, only for a second, but she knew that she was perilously close to his soft underbelly. </p><p>For her final turn of the screw, Maze brought out the device she knew would cut him most deeply. She sighed as she walked behind him, running her nails up the nape of his neck. Then, she faced him head on, excited to see how reacted to her last insult.</p><p>“You see, I think Chloe’s biggest kink is commitment, Lucifer. Maybe even marriage, babies, and a house with a little white picket fence...Does that sound like what the Devil should desire, or even have a right to want? I give it three months before you hate her, hate yourself, and descend back into the Hellfire where you belong!” she mocked, growing more vicious and cutting with each word. </p><p>By that point he was lost in thought and full of fear, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Before he knew it, she’d placed her hands on his chest and shoved him several feet away, nearly knocking him to the ground.</p><p>Feeling his anger flare up to burn away the fear, Lucifer regained his balance and straightened his suit while Maze laughed cruelly, both knowing she’d planted a seed of doubt in his fertile mind. But what did she really know about his life anymore? How dare she question his decisions?</p><p>His eyes blazed red at her impertinence. <br/>In a flash, Lucifer was back at the bar, holding Maze aloft by the throat. </p><p>“ENOUGH! You will not speak her name again, Mazikeen! Now, where the bloody hell is Eve?” he raged, disliking how easily she could find his weaknesses. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she knew more about Chloe’s innermost desires than he did, after all. Maybe he couldn’t be the man she needed, and as that thought made his heart clench, the hand around Maze’s throat did the same. </p><p>She kept thrashing and growling for another minute or so, but Maze knew she’d been bested by the Devil for now, at least physically.</p><p>“Ok, ok, I yield! Put me down!” Maze choked out, trying to get a good kick in as her hands futilely grabbed for his jugular. Without warning, he released his grip, sending the demon clattering down to the floor before her reflexes could catch up. </p><p>Lucifer waited for Maze to catch her breath and stand, but just barely. Adrenaline and terror coursed through him, his mind filled with gut-wrenching images of Chloe being tortured by some flunkies at Eve’s behest, or left to die alone in some random warehouse. Assuring her safety was his most important job tonight, and he wouldn’t give in to Maze’s mind games.</p><p>He wanted to rip that satisfied smirk off her face, but getting information was more important. “Out with it, Mazikeen. Tell me what you know or I’ll fling you into the void!” Lucifer roared, the lights above flickering with his celestial rage. Maze just stared back at him defiantly, hands on her hips.</p><p>“Well think about it, Sherlock: how could Eve possibly get to Chloe while you were busy being distracted by me?”</p><p>——————————</p><p>Chloe</p><p>I wound up assisting Dan with the Tiernan arrest early in the evening, since I had no idea how to find Eve and I needed a distraction from feeling constantly on edge, both about my daughter (safe at my mother’s beach house with her babysitter) and my...Lucifer issue. </p><p>Over in evidence lockup, Pony Boy’s phone pinged with a coded text from one of Tiernan’s other henchmen. He told us that the text set off a countdown, alerting his associates to either get to the jet in the next 60 minutes or they’d be assumed caught, blown, or dead. </p><p>In no time, we were speeding to LAX’s private jet hangar to catch Tiernan before he could escape. Backup cars followed us there, ready to assist in the high probability of a shootout. Men like Tiernan didn’t give up easily.</p><p>Though Dan and I worked cases together l all the time, we rarely rode to crime scenes in the same car. It felt strange to be in the passenger seat of his cruiser, since he drove the same one during our marriage, and it always brought back memories of his shortcomings as a partner, especially how seldom he was there for Trixie.</p><p>Thinking of her, safely slumbering in her car seat years ago, sent my nerves skyrocketing, and I started biting my nails without even noticing. Unfortunately, Dan was pretty familiar with my nervous tics.</p><p>“What’s bothering you, Chlo? You’re gonna bite your thumbnail off if you don’t stop soon!” he said, laughing as I looked down at my nail with annoyance. I’d given myself away, and now I needed to tell the father of my child that Lucifer’s psycho girlfriend intended to hurt us.</p><p>But I chickened out instead. </p><p>“Oh, it’s nothing really. Just thinking about whether we should keep Mrs. Kubelik as Trixie’s sitter, since she’s getting more and more pissed off our ‘non-traditional’ hours. How was your weekend with Trix? All normal?” I asked, kicking the proverbial can down the road while checking my phone for any frantic messages from Lucifer or Ella. Nothing yet, but I smiled with satisfaction when an email came through with our warrant. </p><p>“Finally! We got the warrant, Dan. I’m so ready to close this case.” I told him, feeling one step closer to relief. It wouldn’t necessarily be an easy arrest, but at least we’d stop one more killer associated with my ex-fiancé. He nodded in agreement, but instead of talking more about the case, he shot me a quick, uncomfortable look. </p><p>“Well actually, Trixie had some nightmares over the weekend.” Dan said after a long pause, and my brow furrowed in confusion. She’d told me about every bad dream since she could talk, so now I felt helpless and guilty.</p><p>“Really? Did she tell you about them? She never wanted to call me?” I asked, sounding way more emotional than I usually let myself get with my ex husband. No matter how strong our co-parenting/friendship bond was, trust was the breaking point for our marriage and I never let myself forget it.</p><p>Dan looked at me guiltily after my question. “She really only told me a tiny bit, but there’s a reason she didn’t want to talk to us about it, Chloe. You were right; she’s growing up and we both have to give her more space. She’ll come around.” he said, sighing as he turned into the airport’s entrance. </p><p>We drove the rest of the way to the private plane terminal in silence. As Dan radioed our backup signal to the officer crew, I thought back on all of the other crimes we’d solved here: the designer poison scientist whose actions indirectly caused the deaths of two of Lucifer’s flight attendant lovers; the jewelry store owner who killed his own partner; and now Tiernan, trying to make a clean getaway after committing murder, commiserating in human trafficking and God knows what else. </p><p>Thinking about God ignited my anger. Wasn’t it His fault that homicide cops were even necessary? Didn’t people use His name to justify wars and tolerate hatred to this day? Wasn’t He the reason Lucifer was so tormented?</p><p>“We’ve got to get there faster, and make sure those scumbags can’t get away. You need to drive faster, Dan— I have a gut feeling that we’ve gotta get there sooner than we thought.” I insisted, gripping the dashboard with frustration. He looked at me with surprise, but revved the engine anyway, trusting my instincts.</p><p>——————————-</p><p>As soon as Maze told him that Eve had one of her demon blades , Lucifer had no hesitation about what to do next: he had to get Chloe and bring her to her mother’s house before anyone could get hurt. </p><p>Unfortunately, driving wasn’t a viable option; it would take forever to get to and from the airport, and he had no clue where to find Eve. He needed to use a more angelic form of transport.</p><p>Would the Detective be horrified? What if she refused to go with him? How would Daniel react to seeing divinity up close and personal?</p><p>He couldn’t worry about the small, human concerns he’d become inured to while living among them, Lucifer decided; damn the consequences. Powered by a mix of dread and purpose, he strode over to his balcony doors, wrenching them open with such force that they came off their tracks and wobbled precariously. Doors could be replaced, but this particular Detective was irreplaceable; nothing else mattered as long as Chloe was in danger. With that, he spread his wings and flew off into the night. </p><p>xxx</p><p>A few minutes later, Lucifer touched down near the spot where Tiernan’s jet was being prepped for takeoff. He’d seen the black and white LAPD cruisers from above, so he knew Detective Douche and Chloe couldn’t be too far away. Making as little noise as possible, he crept closer to the action, staying hidden behind the many small buildings and airport vehicles nearby.</p><p>He wished that he could just fly straight into the action, disarming Tiernan’s goons and capturing the man himself, shock-and-awing everyone with the glory of his angel wings. He’d reserve the Devil face for Julian’s dad, giving him a preview of Hell right here on Earth.</p><p>Then, as the criminals were cuffed and led away, he imagined flying with Chloe in his arms, and how amazing it would feel to actually be up there with her—</p><p>Why did this ridiculous daydream keep cropping up? Was he going soft, as Maze so cruelly implied? He put all of those feelings on his mental back burner and returned to the task at hand. After a few more minutes of alternately listening and moving forward, Lucifer picked up the sound of Chloe’s voice as she held a quiet exchange with Dan. Relief flooded through him, and he quickly reached the two detectives, staying about 20 feet back so they wouldn’t fire on him accidentally. </p><p>“Detective, I need to talk to you for a moment!” he whisper-spoke as loud as he dared, unsurprised when they both turned, guns pointed straight at him. </p><p>Chloe lowered hers immediately, the wariness on her face morphing into fearful understanding. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?“ she began, voice low and shaky as she walked over. </p><p>Dan eyed Lucifer suspiciously. “Yeah, why are you here, man? You know, it’s possible for Chloe to arrest a perp without you attached at the hip!” Dan huffed, glaring his disapproval before turning back to the scene. Lucifer decided to take the hit in stride, for the Detective’s sake.</p><p>“This has been a mighty unpopular day for the Devil, indeed!” Lucifer told his partner with a wry grin as she reached him. She laughed a little in spite of herself, helping to ease the tension. </p><p>“Why, have you been going around bothering other police detectives’ hostile exes?” she whispered conspiratorially, holstering her gun as he led her several feet away. </p><p>“Detective, I’m here on a matter of some urgency, I’m afraid. A short while ago, Maze told me that Eve took one her demon blades and went off looking for you. I flew straight here to tell you, so I haven’t begun a proper search yet. You’re not really needed here, so why don’t you come with me, partner?”</p><p>Upon hearing that Lucifer actually used his wings to FLY there, Chloe’s eyes grew wide as saucers. Then it took her a few moments to process the information Lucifer just flung in her direction. </p><p>She was part of an active investigation, supporting Dan in the field. Of course, there was plenty of backup, and he’d definitely understand her decision if he had the full picture. There was too much at stake and too little time; she needed to tell Dan the truth.</p><p>Chloe took a deep breath to steady herself. It was terrifying and probably quite stupid, but as Trixie’s father and her friend, she owed it to him. </p><p>“Hey, Dan? I’ve got to talk to you about something really important. Lucifer, can you go and keep watch?” she suggested, noticing the unsubtle glares the two men in her life gave each other as they switched places. </p><p>“Can it wait til we’re off the clock, Chloe? What could be so-“ he began, but she held up her hand immediately, keen on creating a sense of urgency by looking deep into his eyes.</p><p>“Dan, everything I’m about to tell you is 100% true, so please trust me on this: Lucifer and I need to leave, now, to go find Eve. She’s got one of Maze’s knives, we have no idea where she is, and I am her target; you’ve seen what paranoid anger can do to people. Now here’s the part that’s a little hard to swallow-“ I had almost reached the point of no return, but Dan cut me off.</p><p>“I hear you so far, Chloe, but why do you have to be involved, especially if you’re the target? Can’t Lucifer find her and calm her down himself?”</p><p>“That’s a very good point, but what we're facing is bigger than anything in our world, Dan: Eve is THE Eve, from the Bible— you know, mother of Cain and Abel—and she escaped from Heaven to be with Lucifer. But let’s stick a pin in that story for now. </p><p>“I’ve only known all of this since that day we interviewed Tiernan: Eve waited until Lucifer went to answer a call, and that’s when she threatened me. See, Pierce WAS Cain all along— Eve’s son. She had the power to use the Sinnerman network against me, and by extension, Trixie. </p><p>“Tiernan and his crew are part of that network, Dan. We got that from Pony Boy. It’s more important than ever to get this crew contained, so you’ll handle that, and we’ll find Eve. It’s all about protecting Trixie. You got all that?” Chloe finished breathlessly, glad to finally have it all out in the open.</p><p>Dan was completely floored, only able to blink as he looked from Chloe to Lucifer and back again, several times. </p><p>“Daniel, are you broken? We really don’t have time to fix you right now, so can you please get it together?” Lucifer asked with irritation, about to walk over and wave a hand in front of Dan’s glazed face. Luckily, Chloe's hand shot out to grab his forearm.</p><p>“Lucifer, what do you think you’re doing?”</p><p>He was about to describe his technique for bringing Dan back to reality with a series of painful slaps when they all heard two or three cars drive up to the getaway jet. As two burly men with guns emerged, Lucifer gestured wildly to Dan that this was the moment to call for backup. Dan shook his head and rolled his shoulders several times, as if he was physically shoving his thoughts away.</p><p>“Ok, I think I’m good for now. I’ve got this part under control.” Dan began, picking up his radio and glancing nervously at Chloe. She shrugged helplessly— this was her current reality. Now, it was his too.</p><p>“Just so you know, we’re gonna have to have a long talk about that crazy shit you just told me. But for now, I’ll deal with Tiernan, you guys make sure Trixie’s ok. And Lucifer, even though I still don’t understand exactly what your part in this is, I’m trusting you with my family. Keep them safe.” Dan said to them, reaching out to clap Lucifer on the shoulder. He seemed genuinely touched by the show of trust.</p><p>“I know it’s crazy, Dan, but everything’s ok. I promise. Thank you for understanding.“ Chloe said, squeezing his hand before she and Lucifer slipped back a good distance away, into a shadowy area where they couldn’t be seen.</p><p>“Ok, Detective, I’m ready. It’s time for your first flight.” Lucifer announced, opening up his arms as if she was supposed to jump right in.</p><p>“Oh my god, you’re serious! You want to fly me to my mom’s house, like Superman and Lois Lane?” she asked, surprised as the reality of their bizarre situation set in.</p><p>“Yes; well, not exactly like that, but you must remember to both relax and hold on tight. We can’t have you hyperventilating or passing out.” he explained, happy to see her rolling her eyes like usual as she stepped closer.</p><p>“This sounds like a pretty convenient way to feel me up. Why don’t you whip ‘em out, and you can show me why you have to hold me like a damsel in distress.” Chloe said, giving Lucifer a skeptical once-over.</p><p>“I swear to dad, picking you up is the best way to do it. I believe you humans call it a bridal carry—some rubbish about going over a threshold...” he explained, the romantic tradition utterly lost on him. She smiled a little, thinking about some of her sillier fantasies about them as a couple. </p><p>“Yeah, I know what you mean. Now, you promise not to drop me, right?” she asked nervously, forcing herself to draw a little closer. Maybe she could close her eyes and imagine she was on a roller coaster?</p><p>“I haven’t flown with anyone in many many years, but no, I’ve never dropped anyone!” he scoffed, and she let him scoop her up, holding her with one arm while wrapping her arm around his neck to make sure she had a firm grip.</p><p>Chloe found this gesture very touching, happy that the night was too dark for him to see her blush. “Ok, hold on tight, but try not to choke me. We’ll be there in about a minute, I’d wager.” Lucifer said, and suddenly, Chloe was surrounded by his beautiful white wings. </p><p>They took her breath away. She’d seen them once before, but not this close; it was like hiding under a huge, fluffy white comforter. She barely had a chance to look at the feathers before they were airborne, but she knew that she wanted to see them again, as soon as possible.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Missing Piece, Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And now, here’s the last chapter!!!  This one took a lot of time in editing, so I do hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor 😉!</p><p>I want to thank you for taking the time to read this. The comments and kudos you’ve sent my way are so lovely and appreciated—if you’re a writer here, I’ll always return the love 💗 </p><p>SO, I’m toying with the idea of adding an epilogue, just to give our favorite couple a chance to enjoy their new relationship...Let me know in the comments if you want a smutty add-on (heh)!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe</p><p>True to his word as always, we landed on the beach near my mother’s cottage not more than a minute later. I quickly extricated myself from Lucifer’s arms as an intense awkwardness crashed over me. </p><p>“Everything alright, Detective?” I heard him ask, but he sounded so far away. For a few brief moments, it felt like I was in a surreal dream: I just literally flew in the arms of a fucking angel, like in that Sarah McLachlan song I listened to on repeat as a teenager. Even though it was a short ride, I couldn’t believe how exhilarating it was, and how safe I felt.</p><p>But now that we were back on solid ground, I found myself unable to look him in the eye as his wings whooshed out of sight. We shared such an intimate moment— at least it was for me— that I felt almost too vulnerable. I made myself mumble a “Yeah, just fine.” and pretended not to see his hurt expression.</p><p>Turning away, I trudged through the sand toward the house, glad that he gave me space by following a few steps behind. I took my phone and texted my mom that we’d be there in just a second.</p><p>By the time we reached the beach house’s back steps, Trixie and my mom were waiting, and I greeted them both with a huge hug.</p><p>“Hi guys! This little lady was just about to go to bed, so you got here at the perfect time!” Mom told us, reaching past me to give Lucifer an enthusiastic greeting. He brightened considerably, eating up her attention.</p><p>“Oh, it’s always a pleasure to see the divine Penelope Decker! It’s been way too long, but I know you have such a demanding schedule...” Lucifer flattered her enthusiastically as he passed us, patting Trixie on the head like a dog before disappearing into the house. I just held tight to my daughter, immersing myself in the scent of her apple-scented shampoo.</p><p>“Mom, I’m gonna get Trix settled myself!” I called out, closing the door to the guest bedroom. I wanted to steal a bit of time with her, just to make sure she was ok.</p><p>“So, you came over with Lucifer, huh?” she asked innocently as she climbed into bed. I only saw her cheeky grin when she settled against her pillow.</p><p>“Yes, Monkey, I did. We’re going to be working pretty late, so I thought we’d come over and surprise you!” I replied, trying to keep my face nice and calm so she wouldn’t sense my anxiety. We talked for a few minutes about her visit to Nana’s and her school day, and I was relieved that listening to her happy prattle eased my mind.</p><p>“Mom, do you think it’d be ok for Lucifer to come and say goodnight too?” she asked, telling me what she really wanted with a hopeful look. I smiled and nodded, slipping out of the room to grab him. </p><p>In the den, I found my mother and my partner drinking red wine on the couch, chatting like they had all the time in the world. I crossed my arms and groaned my disapproval, but Mom just looked at me and giggled, going back to talking. </p><p>“Lucifer, this isn’t a social call! We’ve got to get going, and Trixie wants you to pop in and say goodnight.” I told him sharply, and he stood, gazing at my mother like she was the loveliest creature he’d ever seen. I swear, she almost swooned.</p><p>“A Devil’s work is never done! We'll have a proper catch up when you’re back in town, Penelope darling!” he called out to her, hip checking me with a rakish grin as he passed me.</p><p>I walked over to my mother, whose smirk reminded me of the cat who got the cream. “So, is this romance in the air I’m sensing?” she whispered, looking very pleased by my blushing and gaping. </p><p>“It’s complicated, believe me, but things are good right now. We’ve got a case to finish— I’ll text you later to schedule pickup, ok?” I told her, giving her a quick hug. </p><p>As I went back to Trixie’s room, I could hear the muffled sounds of her conversation with Lucifer. Since we needed to go I knocked, then heard a bit of rustling, like something was being moved around. I decided not to pry, and was rewarded with two suspiciously angelic faces when they called for me to come in. </p><p>“Alright, off to bed with you then, urchin. Remember what I taught you: a pinkie promise is always a binding contract!” Lucifer reminded her, waiting for her nod of agreement before getting up from his perch on her bed. In the dim glow of the bedside lamp, he looked every inch the angel that he was; all beautiful and perfectly sculpted... </p><p>As if he could read my mind yet again, he waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he went by. I couldn’t stop myself from blushing, but Trixie didn’t seem to notice, busily arranging her stuffed animals for bedtime. </p><p>After he left the room, I gave her a final long hug and covered her smiling face with kisses. </p><p>“You know how much I love you, right baby?” I asked softly, tucking the comforter around her sides. She just looked at me, rolling her eyes in a way too familiar style. My daughter was growing up way too fast, so I wiped that smirk off her face with some old fashioned tickling. Her laughter filled me with joy. </p><p>“Of course, silly! Now go catch the bad guys, and don’t worry about us so much; Lucifer gave me something to protect Nana and me. Love you!” she said, ending on a yawn. </p><p>I gently closed her door and left the house, where I found Lucifer leaning against a post as he took a long pull from his flask. I narrowed my eyes at him, attempting not to laugh.</p><p>“I’m trying to figure out what you gave Trixie, and I’m genuinely hoping it wasn’t some of this!” I teased him, grabbing the flask for a fortifying sip of my own. He frowned, raising his eyebrows defensively.</p><p>Detective, I would never! In fact, I gave her one of these, which could prove quite useful in an emergency.” Lucifer huffed, stepping a few feet away in order to stretch his wings back out. He plucked out a tiny feather and handed it to me. Amazingly, it gave off a faint glow.</p><p>“What? You gave her one of your own feathers? Where did you say it came from?” I asked, my jaw falling open in surprise. He just smiled serenely, acting like I’d asked the world’s most obvious question.</p><p>“My dear Detective, your daughter has known my identity since the first day we met! Like most intelligent children, the little urchin always believed me,” he said smugly, ignoring my dumbstruck expression in favor of grabbing his flask back. He tucked it into his jacket pocket and and continued:</p><p>“Actually, she asked for a feather tonight because Maze told her about their healing properties, and she desired an insurance policy in case I have to go away again...” his voice trailed off, and his eyes spoke of sadness. </p><p>I was extremely moved that he cared so much for Trixie, no matter how hard he worked to hide it. “Lucifer, thank you for protecting her. You’re like her guardian angel.” I breathed in amazement, feeling my eyes stinging with tears. I reached out to link his fingers with my own, needing contact. It felt silly to get so emotional, but nothing about tonight made sense anyhow. </p><p>A few stray tears slipped down my face as I looked up at him, and Lucifer offered a kind of wistful half smile, wiping them away with his thumb. He was about to kiss me, I could feel it, so I closed my eyes. He held my face gently in his hands, but I only felt his lips brush my forehead. Expecting and wanting more, I let my eyes flutter open and I brought my hands to his face, pulling him down toward me. </p><p>It was a lovely, sweet kiss, just like the ones we’d shared in the past, but I felt ready for more. Inexplicably, he pulled away, his face hovering just inches from mine. It was incredibly frustrating, which must’ve shown on my face because his lips quirked into a smile. I just stared back, caught off guard and unable to generate a smart remark. Of course, Lucifer had no such trouble. </p><p>“Now now, Detective, I know I’m irresistible but you mustn’t get carried away when there’s a job to finish! Remember, we can always have that drink afterwards...” he said suggestively, enjoying the chance to needle me. Shaking my head, I pushed him away lightly.</p><p>“Ugh, you can be such a tease, Satan!” I grumbled in jest, giving him a little smile in return. I held my arms out, he scooped me up again, and we headed back up into the night sky. </p><p>xxx</p><p>When we got back to Lucifer’s penthouse balcony, he had to help me get to my feet. Because I dared to open my eyes this time, the speed took me by surprise and I got pretty dizzy. </p><p>“Are you sure you’re alright? Shall I get you a drink?” he asked, looking concerned as I sat down carefully on the nearest deck chair. The dizziness cleared after a minute or two, and I stood up, ready to put the Eve chapter of our lives out of my mind. </p><p>“I’m fine, Lucifer, don’t worry! I shouldn’t have looked while you were going so fast. Maybe next time, if there’s no emergency, you can go a little slower. I bet the city lights are beautiful from up there.” I said, noticing his excited look when I mentioned going again. </p><p>“Next time, hmm? You know, there are a lot of things I appreciate seeing more clearly when I fly,” he told me, opening the broken sliding door carefully so we could go inside. “I never thought I’d enjoy it again, but it was fun, especially with you.” </p><p>I was pleased that he’d say something so emotionally honest, and I kept my mouth shut for once. He walked to the bar and poured himself a drink, shrugging when I declined. I had some truths of my own to share. </p><p>“I’m glad. Your wings are a part of who you are, just like your Devil face; I understand that now. It’s so easy to forget that you’re not actually human, especially when you’re annoying the crap out of me at work, but I’ll do better, I promise.” I said, trying to infuse my words with acceptance. I wanted him to know that I got him now, fully. </p><p>“That is very much appreciated, Detective.” he replied, looking at me with a softness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in many months. But as he finished his drink and placed it on the bar counter, something changed, and his eyes flashed with a realization. Suddenly, Lucifer looked very much like a man on a mission. </p><p>I shot him a quizzical look, unsure of what he was about to do. “Detective, what are we standing around for? I thought she might be holed up with Maze, but I’d bet all the gold bars in my safe that Eve is downstairs as we speak. Let’s go check, now!” he said with urgency, basically pushing me into the elevator. At the thought of actually confronting her, my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest in nervous anticipation. I felt around my waist, checking my gun and badge.</p><p>When we reached the club level, I saw a version of Lux that I rarely got to view. It was a typical Saturday night, so the room was fully packed, and it was almost overwhelming to my senses. Everything and everyone pulsed with energy, from the colored lights above to the frenetic dance music blasting from the speakers. hadn’t seen anything like it since the night I bumped into Ella on the dance floor, the very night Lucifer began his relationship with Eve.</p><p>How were we supposed to find her in a crowd like this? When I turned to ask Lucifer that very question, he had already left my side, so I decided to start with the bartenders. Andre said he’d seen her around a couple of times but wasn’t sure when, since they were constantly pouring drinks. </p><p>When I asked Mitch, a burly security guard who spent a few years on the LAPD’s Vice Squad, he told me Eve came down about an hour ago with Maze, but he didn’t know where they were. Back at the bar, Patrick and a bartending trainee named Kiley said the same thing, but the new girl remembered Eve’s sparkly silver flapper dress.</p><p>Wanting to update Lucifer, I scanned the crowd and found him quite easily, since he was surrounded by ladies in tight little outfits, appearing to flirt with all of them at once. My heart took a free fall into the pit of my stomach.</p><p>How could I let myself fall back under the delusion that the Devil was capable of an emotionally mature, monogamous adult relationship? His true self flourished here: a nightclub owning, favor granting tomcat. We could be partners, even friends,  but nothing more. </p><p>Depressed, I tried to get back over to the bar for a cold beer, but the crowd waiting for drinks was just too long. I decided that it was time for me to take a break when being squashed by the crowd felt unbearable so I fought my way back to the private elevator. </p><p>Once I was alone, I finally exhaled a yawn, looking down at the floor when something shiny caught my eye. I picked it up, and the silver fabric matched descriptions of Eve’s dress. Idly, I wondered if she’d been heading upstairs or just recently came down, so I did a quick check through the apartment before going back down to the club. </p><p>Lucifer was standing near one of the banquettes, talking animatedly with who ever was sitting there, so I decided to walk around the perimeter, checking the other booths as I went. There were a few tables hidden behind red velvet curtains, so I tried to peek into them as discreetly as possible. Of course, she wasn’t in any of them. </p><p>Just about 30 feet before I reached my partner, there was a hidden area where the staff could enter table orders and generate checks. Unfortunately, I was so engrossed in my table search that I forgot about it, or I wouldn’t have been so caught off guard when I was pulled roughly back behind the thin curtain. It was surprisingly dark in that little corner, but I could feel the coldness of steel blade against my throat. </p><p>“Hello, you Devil-stealing bitch!” growled a woman who I assumed was Eve, but whose voice was lower-pitched and sinister. </p><p>“Eve? What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t steal anything from you!” I yelped, surprised by her strength. She held me in a position that made it almost impossible for me to draw my gun. </p><p>“I’m taking back what’s always been mine, Chloe. Up in Heaven, Lucifer’s brother Michael showed me that I needed to come to Earth and rescue my ex from the same pretty blond detective who damned Cain. Apparently, you moved on to ruining the Devil, he said, and I shouldn’t stand for it. So, I came down here and tried my best to work my old magic on Lucifer, but he just wouldn’t stay away from you! As you can see, I borrowed one of Maze’s super sharp knives and decided to take matters into my own hands.” she said viciously, and I could feel her breathing hot against the back of my neck as she adjusted her hold on the blade.</p><p>“You don’t want to do this, Eve. If you hurt me or anyone else, it wouldn’t matter what any of his siblings promised; Lucifer is his own man, and he will never forgive you.” I said, desperately trying to reason with the troubled woman holding me hostage. We were so close together in the tiny space that I could practically hear the wheels turning in her brain.</p><p>It was a Hail Mary if there ever was one, and it accomplished my goal: Eve loosened her grip slightly while she considered my warning. </p><p>It took me five seconds to spin out of her reach, disarm her and draw my weapon, flinging aside the stupid curtain. Within the club, I heard a few screams, then all was silent as the music died out. Soon, I felt Lucifer’s solid presence behind me, as he assessed the situation for several long beats before saying a word. </p><p>In the meantime, Eve burst into tears. “Lucifer, you don’t understand! I had to do it— you just wouldn’t listen...” she trailed off, face crumpling as she stared up at him with her tear-filled doe eyes. To my satisfaction, he looked unmoved, getting that cold flinty look in his eyes.</p><p>“Detective, I see you’ve found our secret mini Maze! Very diabolical, Eve, but as you can see, you fucked with the wrong lady. Let’s take this upstairs, shall we? I still have a club to run.”</p><p>———————-</p><p>A few hours later, after a lot of talking and even more drinking, it was all over. Lucifer decided it was best to close Lux early following the dramatic showdown. After declining to even notify the station of any wrongdoing, Chloe went home to shower and change, promising to be in touch later. Then, there were calls from Dan and Amenadiel to return; the former wanted assurances that Chloe was ok, while Amenadiel offered his and Linda’s help in figuring out how Eve could move on to a happier, healthier life.</p><p>Lucifer accepted their help on her behalf, grateful that he wouldn’t have to handle the complicated situation himself. He did, however, find it quite easy to forgive Eve; he knew all too well how easy it was to be manipulated by angels, and if the Detective could move past the horrifying ordeal with such grace, he would do well to follow her example. If it worked, he might try it next with Mazikeen, but she knew well enough to stay away for the next few days. That she would ask for his forgiveness and that he would grant it was a foregone conclusion between them for eons, but she had to want it first. </p><p>Lucifer found Eve sitting in a quiet corner of his penthouse, occasionally sipping from a mug of tea as she watched the sun rise. A travel bag sat by her side, since she decided to move her most important items and clothes immediately over to the hotel suite he booked for her just a short while ago. </p><p>“Eve, I want you to know that I’m sorry things ended so messily. There are people who care about you down here, so if you ever need help, please know that we’re just a phone call away.” he said, sitting down near her on one of his overstuffed leather armchairs. She looked up at him sadly from the step she was perched on, tears streaking her face and smudging her eyeliner. Silently, he offered her his pocket square, which she took gratefully. It was lucky for him that she didn’t see the cringe on his face when she noisily blew her nose and patted her eyes dry. </p><p>“What do you have to be sorry for? You’re being so generous like always; how can you want to be after what I did? My jealousy almost ruined your life here, Lucifer! I regret making those terrible threats— I just felt so possessive and angry when I saw your relationship with Chloe. I wish I’d come to my senses earlier! I should never have listened to Michael in the first place...” she trailed off, turning her gaze back to the brightening sky.</p><p>Lucifer sighed, trying to stifle the incandescent rage he felt whenever his brother’s name was mentioned. “I understand why you’re hurting, Eve. My brother is, like most of my ‘Heavenly’ siblings, so ignorant about humans, and never should have manipulated you. Take it from me: you deserve all the happiness in the world, and I have no doubt you’re going to find it here on Earth, just like you’ve always wanted.” he told her with a gentle smile. She chuckled wetly, dabbing a few more tears away.</p><p>“Thank you, Lucifer. I was talking to Linda before, and she brought up the idea of traveling— you know, seeing places and cultures that I’ve never experienced before. I was thinking of India, maybe starting off in an ashram, or working with the needy. What do you think?” she asked, her face lighting up with all of the possibilities out in front of her. </p><p>“I think it all sounds just perfect, darling. Now, let me find Linda so you can continue that little talk...” he replied, looking around hopefully for the therapist in question. What good was inviting the doctor over if she wasn’t there when you needed her most?</p><p>Luckily, his very pregnant friend chose the exact right moment to come back from her umpteenth trip to the bathroom. Apparently, babies felt the need to sit on their mothers’ bladders, so Linda told him earlier. Lucifer suppressed a shudder just thinking about it.</p><p>“Eve, how about we go out to the balcony for some fresh air? The sunrise is just beautiful, and we can continue our talk if you’d like.” Linda suggested, approaching her with her calm voice. He watched as Eve stood, nodding gratefully. Linda linked their elbows as they walked out together. </p><p>Lucifer breathed a huge sigh of relief, realizing how emotionally drained he was now that all of the adrenaline from the past several hours was gone from his body. </p><p>Like a shot, he was off to the bar, grabbing the nearest best bottle of whisky and unscrewing the cap. He asked himself if the situation called for glugging his alcohol straight from the bottle, and the answer was decidedly yes. </p><p>He was about to bring the bottle to his lips, but decorum was literally saved by the bell—in this case, the elevator’s chime. Reaching for an appropriate glass, he smiled when he saw Chloe, his brave and beautiful Detective, step into the room. </p><p>“Hey, I wanted to check and see how you’re doing, but instead of calling I took a chance and just showed up.” she said softly, self-consciousness coloring her cheeks pink. He couldn’t help but grin at her loveliness.</p><p>“I’m very glad you did. Can I get you a morning beverage?” he asked, feeling oddly nervous. She looked at the bottle he was holding and nodded, so he busied himself behind the bar, silently preparing their drinks.</p><p>Was this feeling of not knowing what to do or say what humans called awkwardness? He’d never felt tongue-tied around anyone before meeting Chloe, and if he wasn’t so confused he’d probably find it fascinating. He leaned forward to hand her a glass, raising his own to clink against hers.</p><p>“So, what should we drink to?” Chloe asked, smiling in a way that looked unsure and happy at the same time. Lucifer felt like whooping with joy: she was just as bewildered as he was, and it was wonderful. </p><p>“This has been one hell of a night, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s leave the past behind us where it belongs; I say we drink to new beginnings!” he declared, giving her a coy little wink. Much to his delight, Chloe’s laughter rang through the penthouse, suffusing the whole place with her warmth, and it sounded heavenly to his ears. </p><p>Lucifer took a brief moment to silently thank his father for bringing them together; whatever His reasons were didn’t matter, because Chloe was, and would always be, the missing piece he never knew he needed.</p><p>“To new beginnings, then!” she agreed, smiling at him over the rim of her glass. It was the kind of smile that held the promise of new and exciting adventures to come, and he couldn’t wait to experience them together.</p>
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